BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is coming under fire and being called “out of touch” after recent comments he made in Victoria this week, regarding the rental situation in the province.

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On Wednesday, Wilkinson said renting is just a “fun part” of growing up.

“I was a renter for 15 years. I lived in a dozen different rentals,” he said. “It was challenging at times, but it was fun.”

He added that being a renter is a “rite of passage” and “part of growing up and getting better.”

“We’ve all done it,” he added. “It’s kind of a wacky time of life, but it can be really enjoyable.”

His comments were immediately pounced on by members of the NDP, who said it was due to the policies of the Liberals when they were in power that many find themselves still renting and unable to achieve homeownership.

BC Liberal leader Wilkinson suggests being a renter is just a phase you have to go through. ‘We’ve all done it.’ Many of my constituents are renters for life, some because the Liberals let/encouraged housing costs shoot through the roof. — S Chandra Herbert (@SChandraHerbert) February 27, 2019

In case anyone thought MLA @SChandraHerbert was exaggerating BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s casual dismissal of renting as being something like a “fun phase” that people go through when they’re young… here’s a screenshot straight from the official record of Hansard. pic.twitter.com/qHqYYIKctI — Bowinn Ma (@BowinnMa) February 28, 2019

When young families can’t afford to buy a home because an out-of-control housing market was ignored for years by the @bcliberals just how out of touch do you need to be to say that the solution is to stop protecting renters, because after all it’s just a ‘wacky’ phase of life — Selina Robinson (@selinarobinson) February 28, 2019

Struggling to locate or maintain a roof for one’s family is not “fun”. Moving from place to place against one’s wishes is not fun. Losing sleep over fears of how one will pay rent that eats the majority of one’s monthly income is not “fun”. #wackytime #bcpoli https://t.co/M7ICIUWfK3 — Jagrup Brar (@JagrupBrar1) March 1, 2019

Wilkinson’s comments also come the same week that Vancouver deemed $2,056 as “affordable rent” for a one-bedroom unit.

On Thursday, Wilkinson took to Twitter in an attempt to clarify what he meant by his words, adding that “some people find themselves renters by choice, others not.”

I was a renter for 15 years. I had a low paying job and student loans. I know what it feels like to worry about making ends meet each month. I know what it feels like to dream of a better situation, more choice and freedom in life. 1/4 #bcpoli — Andrew Wilkinson (@Wilkinson4BC) February 28, 2019

The government’s job is to make achieving your dream possible. If you dream of a better job, a better home, a higher income – those are all opportunities that are crushed when this NDP government closes the door to investment and smothers job creation with taxes. 2/4 #bcpoli — Andrew Wilkinson (@Wilkinson4BC) February 28, 2019

Looking back on my time as a renter, I remember working hard. Living with roommates in tight apartments and planning my future. 3/4 #bcpoli — Andrew Wilkinson (@Wilkinson4BC) February 28, 2019

Some people find themselves renters by choice, others not. They are all helped when we support the rental market with co-op housing and ensure there is ample supply. 4/4 #bcpoli — Andrew Wilkinson (@Wilkinson4BC) February 28, 2019

Renters Launch ‘Affordability’ Campaign

The comments from Wilkinson and the response by the NDP come in the midst of a renters campaign being launched today, which calls on BC Premier John Horgan to “fully implement the Fall 2018 Rental Taskforce recommendations.”