The Liberals on Friday said NDP Leader John Horgan is putting his union friends ahead of public safety.

Speaking to media in Penticton on Thursday, Horgan confirmed his support for selling marijuana in liquor stores saying, “An option to use public liquor stores is a good one.” (Castanet, April 14, 2017). In siding with his union friends, he is rejecting the advice of the federal task force on marijuana legalization, which included his own Vancouver-Fraserview candidate George Chow, said the Liberals.

In all of the U.S. states that have legalized marijuana, there is a ban on selling marijuana and alcohol together.

The Liberals alleged that Horgan rejected all of that expert advice because his union friends in the BCGEU, the primary financial benefactors of selling marijuana in liquor stores, donated $117,400 to the BC NDP last year alone – and he refuses to disclose how much they’ve contributed this year.

They said: “The BC NDP’s Horgan is clearly not on your side as he continues to turn to donors to develop his position on policy, and will be attending an exclusive fundraiser hosted by the marijuana industry on April 18 in Vancouver. The email-only invitation to the marijuana fundraiser offers individuals in the marijuana industry an “unparalleled opportunity” to discuss “what the future holds for the production, sale and distribution of marijuana in British Columbia”.”

“If John Horgan is willing to sell out public safety for $117,400, what else will he be selling out to the highest bidder at his marijuana fundraiser on April 18?” asked Liberal candidate Suzanne Anton.

The Liberals claimed that only they have a plan to keep marijuana out of the hands of minors, keep the profits out of organized crime, and ensure the public is protected.