Liberals poised to win in British Columbia

VICTORIA, British Columbia, May 12 (UPI) -- British Columbians Tuesday voted on returning the Liberal Party to power or bringing in the opposition, which has vowed to cut a controversial carbon tax.

A recent Ipsos Reid poll suggested the Liberals were poised to return to power, capturing 47 percent of decided voters, compared with 39 percent for the New Democratic Party.

The sagging economy has dominated the election debate, with Premier Gordon Campbell saying he and his party can successfully steer the province through tough times, the National Post reported.

NDP leader Carole James, campaigning in the province's Interior Plateau, disagreed, arguing the government has "abandoned" rural British Columbia.

"You have provided the resources that have benefited everyone in our province," she told supporters in Smithers, a town of 5,509. "The economic engine that built this province deserves better than they're getting."

Campbell, 61, accused James, 51, of "fear-mongering."

He also told James in a televised debate that being premier was a "big job" that's "hard to get a handle on." He stood by those comments after the debate, the Post said.

If Campbell is returned to office, he will be the first British Columbia premier to win three consecutive elections in 26 years.