Here’s a breakdown of all parties’ visions as BC election campaigns kick off

Campaigns for the 43rd provincial general election have officially kicked off and voting day is only 25 days away. 

Signs have been put up on lawns and boulevards as people try to support the party they wish to win the upcoming election—but not everyone has decided who they will cast their ballot for. 

For those who are undecided on who to vote for, or what the three remaining major parties believe in, here is a breakdown of their key positions. 

Though none of the three major parties have released their full platforms as of this publication, this information should be able to help as British Columbians educate themselves on the important issues the Province faces ahead of this election.

David Eby’s BC NDP

The BC NDPs have been in power for the last seven years—first under John Horgan and now with Premier David Eby behind the helm. 

Thus far, their campaign is focussed on what they have been able to accomplish for British Columbians and what they will continue to work on for the benefit of all of BC. 

The key points of the BC NDP’s campaign are focussed on:

• Helping with costs
  • As inflation continues to make affordability difficult for most British Columbians, the BC NDP want to continue to reduce costs, as they managed to do with removing student loan interest as well as ICBC, MSP and childcare costs
• Housing
  • Finding housing has never been harder and BC NDP say they have been making strides to deliver homes over the past several years
  • By restricting short-term rentals, implementing a speculation and house flipper tax, helping municipalities with streamlining approval processes and making it easier to add a secondary suite to an existing home, they say they have improved the housing landscape
• Healthcare
  • Though finding a family doctor has never been harder in BC, the BC NDP claim to have implemented policies to help grow the healthcare workforce
  • They say that over 800 family doctors have been hired in the last year and in that time 400,000 people have been connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner
  • Allowing pharmacists to treat minor ailments and prescribe birth control has eased the pressures on the healthcare system, according to the BC NDP
  • Doctors are being trained at UBC and at a new medical school at SFU and the Province has been building and expanding hospitals at a record rate 
• Economy
  • The BC NDP say they have been fighting inflation for British Columbians by creating jobs, reducing unemployment rates and raising minimum wage faster than any other province
• Community safety
  • The BC NDP say they have put emphasis on fighting crime while supporting vulnerable individuals
  • Since the pandemic, the BC NDP claim to have reduced the amount of violent crime, especially violent crime towards women
• Climate
  • The BC NDP take ownership of the fact there is less pollution from oil and gas in the province and say that their efforts in combating climate emergencies has been crucial for BC communities
  • They also say that under their reign, they have managed to protect more old-growth and watersheds than previous governments

Through their campaign, the BC NDP will likely announce more plans they have for the future of the province in addition to what they have already been able to get done. 

A big part of their campaign thus far has been to speculate at what could happen to the policies they have put in place if John Rustad of the Conservative Party of BC were to be elected. 

Most notably, the BC NDP claim Rustad does not believe in vaccinations or climate change, he will make healthcare in BC semi-privatized and that he will increase costs for low and middle income people while providing tax cuts to the top 2%. 

John Rustad’s Conservative Party of BC

Though the Conservatives full platform is also not yet released, they have outlined their main ideas as the campaign period has now kicked off. 

The Conservatives key points of their platform thus far are:

• Healthcare
  • The Conservatives have announced their ‘Patients First’ plan to reform the entirety of BC’s healthcare system by making it semi-private, allowing people who can afford to the ability to spend less time on waitlists
  • They also say they would incentivise post-secondary institutions to train more RNs, LPNs and family doctors
  • They say they wish to “take ideology out of healthcare” in reference to the requirement that healthcare workers be vaccinated during the pandemic
• Cost of living
  • The Conservatives say they would see the ICBC dissolved and allow for the insurance sector to become completely privatized
  • They would also see the carbon tax ended in order to reduce the cost of gas for British Columbians
• The economy
  • The Conservatives would like to cut spending they have deemed wasteful, which would see government-run programs and services become privatized
  • Additionally, they say they they would crack down on money laundering in housing development they believe to be contributing to the housing crisis
• Energy independence
  • The Conservatives would see the carbon tax ended and expand LNG operations in BC by building more pipelines
• Forestry, mining and BC’s resource industry
  • The Conservatives platform on forestry and resources is to crack down on activists who impede companies abilities to harvest 
  • They also say they would like to expand resource extraction across the board, with forestry, mining, fishing and hyro-electricity being the focus
• Education
  • The Conservatives say that classrooms have been places of indoctrination and ideology which they would see ended 
  • They say they will defund post-secondary institutions who do not defend free speech
  • Funding for all post-secondary will be reallocated to better support programs in the fields of medicine, engineering, and skilled trades
• Mental illness, homelessness and the BC opioid crisis
  • The Conservatives say they will put an end to harm reduction programs which provide safe substances to those with substance-abuse issues and will reopen mental health institutions
  • They also say they will introduce mandatory rehabilitation for those with substance issues instead of “destigmatizing toxic drug use”
• Crime and lawlessness
  • They want to undo the BC NDPs decriminalization of drugs, end tent cities and see that police are given more funding
• Culture and freedom
  • The Conservatives would end vaccine mandates that came about during the pandemic
  • They also say they would defend the province’s imperfect history and the landmarks that represent this history
  • Additionally, the Conservatives say they oppose any sort of identity politics and would end programs that focus on equity rather than equality

Rustad and the Conservatives have been vocal both before the campaign period began and since it launched about their opposition to the BC NDPs and their policies. 

Sonia Furstenau’s BC Green Party

The Greens have yet to announce their full platform for the upcoming election, but have outlined their six core principles as the election date nears. 

The BC Green Party’s core principles are:

• Participatory democracy
  • The BC Greens want to work to create a proportionally elected government that represents citizens
• Sustainability
  • Environmentally, the BC Greens want to see the province’s natural resources used wisely to protect the rights and needs of future generations
• Social justice
  • They say they want to acknowledge that all humans in BC have a fundamental right to health, wellbeing and freedom
• Respect for diversity
  • The BC Greens say that protecting and valuing all cultures and individuals while conserving variety in the natural world is a priority for them
• Ecological wisdom 
  • In regards to the limitations of the province and its resources, the BC Greens say they want to live within the capacity of what we have to offer and to protect nature
• Non-violence
  • Lastly, the BC Greens say that safeguarding people’s security and freedom through cooperation and consensus building is a priority and a core value of the party in all decisions

Fursenau and the BC Greens have been critical and vocal about both Rustad and Eby, as well as their parties’ policies. 

More information will become available as the campaign continues. 

Current polls show that the BC NDPs and Conservatives are neck and neck with both party polling with 44% support and the BC Greens with 11%. 

The election date is on Saturday, October 19th. 

If you still need to register to vote, you can do so here.