B.C. Federation of Labour starts anti-Clark attack ads

The B.C. Federation of Labour has launched a new attack ad against Premier Christy Clark, the latest in what will be a growing number of pre-election advertisements in coming weeks.

The ads, to run on social media and the federation’s website, depict a 1980s retro video game, with Clark as a character who jumps on the heads of citizens to earn shiny coins (leaving them dazed and increasing her “tax $” meter), “powering up” through photo ops, and executing a special move on a school that ejects all the kids onto the street and shutters the building.

“School closure bonus!” says the narrator, as coins fly from the school for the premier to collect.

The ad then depicts Clark’s character closing a senior’s home, before plowing through a crowd of elderly citizens on the sidewalk with a power move to score more coins.

“The ad sends a clear message that Premier Clark has been playing working people long enough,” said BCFED president Irene Lanzinger. “We’re urging voters to tell Clark that it’s ‘game over’ by elect- ing a new government May 9.”

The BCFED said it’s spending $70,000 on the ads, in the first of a two-phase campaign. Its Better Can Happen Here campaign also ran television ads last year.

A business-backed coalition called Future Prosperity for B.C. launched its first anti-NDP ads in January, with videos titled Say Anything John, that used contradictory quotes from NDP John Horgan on resource projects before arguing that he’ll say anything to get elected.

The B.C. Liberal government also doubled its taxpayer-funded advertising before the election, and is spending $1.8 million promoting planned cuts to Medical Services Plan premiums unveiled in last week’s budget.

Politically active third-party groups like unions, businesses and environmental organizations are expected to generate big advertising blitzes in the “precampaign” period (the months before the official 28-day election campaign begins on April 11), because there are no spending limits.