Advance voting is open in British Columbia’s provincial election, from Oct. 16 to 21 with final voting day on Oct. 24.
Party leaders have had more than three weeks to lay out their platforms and make their cases to voters since Premier David Eby called a snap election on Sept. 22.
Here’s an outline of the major campaign promises from each party on key issues ranging from health care and the economy to LNG development and Indigenous rights.
Taxes
The B.C. NDP says, if re-elected, it would increase income tax rates for the top two tax brackets by two percentage points, starting at incomes above $190,405.
The party also plans to create a new tax bracket for earnings of more than $1 million per year, with a rate of 24.5 per cent.
The party said the changes would affect less than four per cent of B.C. income earners and raise $1 billion annually for the province to fund health care and other services.
The B.C. Conservatives say they would raise the basic amount of income that workers can earn before paying provincial income tax from $13,216 to $32,000. Interim Leader Lorne Doerkson said it would save most workers about $1,000 annually.
The B.C. Greens are proposing a tax on “extreme wealth.” The proposal would include a one-time tax, beginning at five per cent on net wealth above $50 million and going up to 20 per cent on net wealth above $1 billion. The plan includes an ongoing wealth tax at a lower rate of two to five per cent.
The Greens estimate the measures would raise about $22.2 billion in the first year and $5.4 billion annually after that.
CentreBC says it would lower the basic rate on the lowest tax bracket from 5.6 per cent to 5.06 per cent, reversing the changes announced in the 2026 budget. It is also pledging to raise the B.C. renter’s tax credit from $400 to $600 a year for households earning up to $80,000.
OneBC is proposing a 25 per cent tax cut for every tax bracket and a two per cent reduction of the provincial sales tax (PST).
Cost of Living
The NDP says it would suspend part of the provincial gas tax and target price gouging by oil companies, claiming the measures will cut gas prices by up to 30 cents a litre. Other key affordability measure include capping retail margins on grocery essentials and freezing ICBC auto-insurance rates for another three-years.
The Conservatives say they would keep ICBC rates the same, but would explore replacing ICBC’s no-fault auto insurance with a “hybrid system” that would allow people with serious injuries to sue after a crash.
The Greens say they would create a network of public grocery stores to combat corporate grocery monopolies. The party says it would raise social and disability assistance rates and increase the minimum wage annually at inflation plus per cent until it reaches the living wage.
CentreBC says it would cap BC Hydro residential rate increases and ICBC basic rate increases at or below inflation from 2027 through 2030.
OneBC says it would phase out ICBC’s monopoly on auto insurance and end the no-fault insurance program.
Health care
The NDP’s list of promises on health care includes tripling B.C.’s campaign to recruit U.S. health-care workers, moving ahead with seven long-term care projects it paused earlier this year, and launching a provincewide women’s health strategy. It says it would also make the shingles vaccine free for everyone over age 50 and scrap user fees for seniors’ home-care support.
The Conservatives said they would maintain the current levels of health-care funding, and establish a $50-million emergency fund to help prevent closures and aid recruitment to rural medical practices. Interim Leader Lorne Doerkson pledged to launch an expert review panel within 100 days of forming a government to identify practices from other universal, publicly funded health-care systems that could be used in B.C.
The Greens’ platform vows to establish an integrated Community Health Centre in every riding, make all recommended vaccines free, and increase long-term care beds. The party says it would review the Health Authority model, with a focus on creating a consolidated health authority, and increase funding for public system nurses to boost nurse-to-patient ratios and reduce reliance on private agency nurses.
CentreBC is pledging that everyone in B.C. would have access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by 2031, and add 600 nurse practitioner positions in the public system by 2030. The party also says it would more than double B.C.’s assessment program for internationally trained doctors by 2028.
OneBC is calling for introducing privatized health care alongside the public health-care system and repeal B.C.’s Health Professions and Occupations Act as a regulatory framework. The party is also calling for changes to B.C.’s vaccine policies based on the findings of a recent independent inquiry into vaccine injuries by federal Conservative MP Dean Allison.
Mental health and addictions
NDP Leader David Eby says his government would make involuntary care available in every region for people with serious mental health and addiction issues.
The Conservatives say they would end safe supply programs that provide people with alternatives to toxic street drugs, and expand access to the overdose prevention drug naloxone. The party says it would introduce “compassionate intervention” to get people with severe addiction or mental illness into care and would empower police to enforce the Mental Health Act and order people into involuntary treatment.
The Greens say they would expand publicly funded counselling and psychotherapy programs, including funding six annual visits to a mental health professional under the Medical Services Plan. The party supports safe supply programs and the decriminalization of drugs for personal use and says it would enhance access to supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites.
CentreBC says it would add 150 more detox beds and 500 more treatment and recovery beds by 2030. The party says it opposes drug-buyers clubs that distribute safe supplies of tested drugs, such as Vancouver’s Drug User Liberation Front. The party says it would ask Ottawa to change the federal prosecution directive so that public drug possession is charged.
OneBC says it would eliminate safe supply and drug consumption programs and turn current consumption sites into drug recovery centres, and provide involuntary drug rehabilitation to people with severe addictions.
Public safety
The NDP says it would “double down” on programs that target repeat violent offenders and chronic property crime. The party says it would also expand the Civil Forfeiture Office to target gang assets.
The Conservatives say they would expand the provincial police academy with a goal of hiring 250 more officers, and add 500 more RCMP officers and 150 civilian staff over five years. They also pledge to hire 50 new Crown prosecutors and work with Ottawa to fund more trial judges and add sheriff and court capacity.
The Greens say they would disband the B.C. RCMP’s Critical Response Unit, saying it protects industrial interests at the expense of public and Indigenous rights. The party says it would focus on measures addressing systemic racism and gender-based violence in the province, and enhancing transparency in the justice system.
CentreBC says it would hire 100 more provincial RCMP officers a year for five years and expand B.C.-based police training. The party says it would hold an independent review of B.C.’s bail system.
OneBC says it would focus resources on targeting repeat and violent offenders and work with the federal government to counter international drug and firearms smuggling into Canada. It would also prohibit wearing masks during protests.
Housing
The NDP says it would increase the speculation and vacancy tax to two per cent for domestic owners of secondary properties and to five per cent for foreign speculators. The party says it would also introduce a new Unsold Condo Tax on finished condos left empty for more than a year.
Conservative interim Leader Lorne Doerkson has said the party would not do away with the foreign buyers tax and the speculation and vacancy tax. He said that provincial regulations requiring new buildings to be energy efficient, known as the Step Code, need to be reviewed.
The Greens say they would reinstate the Community Housing Fund that helped communities build more affordable housing. The party says it would also implement vacancy control to prevent large rent increases between tenants, and prohibit blanket no-pets clauses in rental contracts.
CentreBC says it would raise the maximum B.C. renter’s tax credit from $400 to $600 a year. The party said it would speed up approvals and aim to build 5,000 prefabricated and B.C.-made mass-timber homes a year by 2030.
OneBC says it would eliminate the Step Code and block municipal rent control programs that it says prevent more homes from being built.
Education and child care
The NDP platform contains few new promises on education, instead touting its record of investments in school projects and hiring 22 per cent more teachers since 2017. Eby said his party intends to continue expanding the number of child-care spaces in the province, with funding secured from the federal government.
The Conservatives say their key priority is to remove SOGI 123, an initiative that provides anti-bullying resources related to sexual orientation and gender identity to B.C. schools. Interim leader Lorne Doerkson has also called for measures to address antisemitism at schools and campuses.
The Greens say they would create a universal school food program and school supplies program, and expand SOGI 123 resources in schools. The party is proposing a freeze on domestic tuition and fees at public post-secondary institutions, with a goal of working toward free post-secondary education. It says it would resume new enrolment and streamline the $10-a-day child-care program that the NDP froze earlier this year and create a universal early childhood education funding model.
CentreBC says it would create 20,000 new $10-a-day child-care spaces by 2030 and open 25,000 new school seats by 2031. The party says it would aim to reach one counsellor for every 400 students and add 1,500 more education assistants by 2030.
OneBC says it would remove SOGI 123 and “woke ideology” from classrooms and says it would introduce a “Parental Bill of Rights.”
Emissions
The NDP says it would refocus efforts on its goal of cutting methane emissions by 75 per cent by 2030. It says it would dedicate a portion of provincial revenue from oil and gas development to fund climate action programs.
The Conservatives are promising to end emissions limits they say are preventing further investment in the province. They also aim to replace the carbon tax framework for LNG with “stable guidance that rewards operators without penalizing BC exports.”
The Greens say they would bring in a new provincial climate action plan with targets to address the climate emergency, and set consequences for when government falls behind on the plan. The party says it would require the oil and gas sector to reduce emissions in line with B.C.’s climate targets and end provincial subsidies and other initiatives that encourage fossil-fuel expansion.
CentreBC says the province is not on track to meet its target of reducing emissions by 40 per cent compared with 2007 levels by 2030. The party says it would instead target a 20 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, while maintaining climate targets for 2040 and 2050.
OneBC has not published a official platform related to emissions.
LNG development
The NDP would continue support for LNG expansion, and fast-track the North Coast Transmission Line to power new mines and other major projects in B.C.’s north.
The Conservatives say they would double LNG production by 2032 and triple it by 2035 and get the North Coast Transmission Line built on a fixed deadline. They have expressed support for the proposed new pipeline project from Alberta to B.C.’s west coast.
The Greens say they would end approvals for new fracking expansion, LNG terminals and expansions, and new fossil-fuel pipelines. The party says it would set an initial target for electricity to supply at least 35 per cent of B.C.’s total energy needs by 2035.
CentreBC said it would back LNG projects that have First Nations partners and a credible plan to be net-zero ready.
OneBC has not published an official platform related to LNG development. The party said it would approve a pipeline to the Port of Prince Rupert or Kitimat to “get Canadian energy to foreign markets.”
Transportation
NDP Leader David Eby has promised to build a new BC Ferries shipyard, ensure that the next generation of vessels is built in the province and launch a “locals first” ferry reservation pilot program. The NDP says it would make bus passes free for low-income seniors across the province and provide a new $5-million fund for community shuttles.
The Conservatives say they would build a new 10-lane bridge to replace Metro Vancouver’s George Massey Tunnel. The party says it would establish a new charter to set specific standards for BC Ferries and bring back Wi-Fi on major ferry routes and terminals. It has also pledged to expand HandyDART services in areas where demand is greatest.
The Greens say they would phase in free public transit, starting with youth and seniors, double the number of buses on the roads and implement an accessible intercity transit network across 80 per cent of the province. The party says it would also expand the charging network for electric vehicles and restore the requirement that 100 per cent of vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2035.
CentreBC is pledging a $15-billion, three-year transportation plan and to rebuild an intercity bus service starting in 2029. The party said it would create a refundable B.C. Commuter Credit to provide 15 per cent back on monthly and annual transit passes and BC Ferries multi-trip fares.
OneBC has not published any commitments on transportation.
DRIPA
NDP Leader David Eby previously said his government would amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to protect the province from legal challenges. He backed off tabling legislation related to DRIPA in the spring after push-back from First Nations, and said his government and First Nations have committed to working together on the issue.
The Conservatives have pledged to repeal DRIPA if they form government, claiming it creates more uncertainty in the province. It’s not clear what they would replace it with, nor how the party would manage relationships with First Nations who have voiced fierce opposition to repealing the 2019 legislation.
The Greens support maintaining DRIPA as a framework for reconciliation and call for more public education to combat misinformation about DRIPA.
CentreBC says it would repeal DRIPA and replace it with a new law that puts $30 million toward facilitating treaty negotiation.
OneBC said it would repeal DRIPA and declare the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to “have no force and effect in BC.”
