PREMIER SHUNS DEBATE AND ATTACKS BYELECTION OPPONENT

Clark Notes David Eby's Drug Stance

All political eyes will be on the byelection in Vancouver-Point Grey
today as Premier Christy Clark attempts to win a seat in the
legislature to complete her political comeback.

But standing in Clark's way is the NDP's David Eby and four other
lesser known candidates who never got a chance to debate the recently
crowned leader of the B.C. Liberal Party.

"People who live in Vancouver-Point Grey are happy that I've taken
almost all the time I've had available to campaign to speak to them
because I think that's important," Clark told the Courier Monday after
a press conference at a cancer centre on West 10th Avenue where she
announced free nicotine gum and patches to help British Columbians
quit smoking.

But, the premier added, she regrets not having time to debate Eby, who
she accused of taking "really extreme positions" on some issues that
she doesn't believe represent voters in the riding. "His positions on
pornography, on polygamy and on making hard drugs legal are fringe,"
said Clark, who has held her own meetings and telephone "town halls"
instead of attending candidates' debates.

Clark's campaign is driven by a "families-first" agenda that includes
increasing the minimum wage, building a green economy and funding
community groups.

Clark also supports tax breaks for low-income families and parents
with children in sports or the arts.

In a telephone interview Monday, Eby said Clark has taken his
positions out of context, particularly on pornography. Eby believes
Clark was referring to comments he made in a February Vancouver Sun
article when he was executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties
Association.

At issue was B.C. Ferries blocking users of its free Wi-Fi service to
websites about sex education, abortion, pornography, hate speech and
piracy. Eby said in the article "you don't want someone surfing
pornography in front of other passengers." But, he added, what does
B.C. Ferries care if someone is learning about sex education on a ferry ride.

He said his views on polygamy in the Interior community of Bountiful
are in line with what many lawyers have argued about the decade-old
criminal law to prosecute the leaders--it obviously isn't working and
child protection laws need to be used. "The province needs to
recognize that for 10 years the social issues have not been
addressed," said Eby, noting the school in Bountiful is funded with
government money. "These kids aren't leaving the community for their
education because they don't need to because we're funding it with tax
dollars... I say that and I'm pro-polygamy."

As for his views on illicit drugs, Eby said he supports heroin trials,
the decriminalization of marijuana and Insite, the city's supervised
drug injection site. "Many of these projects are funded by her
government," he said. Former premier Gordon Campbell was a supporter
of Insite. "On that issue she's trying to drive a wedge where there's
no wedge."

Eby said it was a shame that Clark is attacking him and not available
to debate issues in the riding such as education, health care, transit
and the environment. "This is a Stephen Harper-style
'I-won't-debate-but-I'll-launch-these-long-range-attack-missiles' that
are, for the most part, fabrications and distortions," he said.

The Vancouver-Point Grey seat is vacant because its former MLA, Gordon
Campbell, resigned as premier. Clark was chosen as Liberal leader in
February.

The riding has been a Liberal stronghold since Campbell narrowly beat
the NDP's Jim Green in 1996 by 1,563 votes. Polls open at 8 a.m. and
close at 8 p.m.