How do British Columbia's three main parties compare on these election issues?

Addressing B.C.'s natural resources industry is top of mind for the Conservative Party of B.C., which plans to expand mining across the province and reduce red tape that prevents or delays project approval. Rustad, a former forestry critic, says he will remove layers of permitting required by industry for forestry projects and create policy around using all parts of trees to reduce waste. Expanded supports for farmers, such as increasing local food processing capacity, are also a priority, and the party wants to bring in private insurance companies in response to ICBC's monopoly on auto insurance in B.C. 

Eby is planning to cut taxes to the tune of about $1,000 for households and over $500 for individuals, annually. The B.C. NDP wants to create set timelines for mining permit reviews in order to get projects going quickly, while also maintaining a focus on environmental impact and consultation with First Nations. The party is also promising highway upgrades to northwestern B.C. in order to improve access to mining sites for workers and communities. Aside from natural resources, Eby has announced he plans to increase incentives for the film industry to increase local jobs in that sector.

The B.C. Green Party has previously said it supports the implementation of a four-day work week. It also says if elected, it will not spend taxpayer dollars on fossil fuel infrastructure, which includes putting a stop to the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline. No new LNG projects will move forward, new fracking wells won't be permitted and gas production would be phased out under a B.C. Green government. Instead, the party plans to invest in renewable energy, such as solar. 

John Rustad and the Conservative Party of B.C. have long said they plan to remove SOGI 123, a program focused on addressing discrimination and inclusivity, from schools. The party says it will incentivize private businesses to create daycare spaces throughout B.C.

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. NDP has yet to share its policies around child care and education.

More than $100 million will be set aside annually by the B.C. Greens to ensure all middle school and high school students have a laptop for coursework, should the party form government. It also plans to ensure better digital literacy in classrooms. 

John Rustad was removed from the B.C. United party in 2022 for comments he made on social media casting doubt on climate change science. Rustad has said he is in favour of nuclear energy and, if elected, he has promised to do away with the carbon tax and low carbon fuel emissions standard. 

On Sept. 12, party leader David Eby said he would scrap the carbon tax if the federal government decides to drop it as a requirement. 

Sonia Furstenau says if she's elected premier, she would keep the carbon tax — but it would apply to companies creating the most pollution in the province and ultimately, there would be bigger rebates for most British Columbians. The Greens' plan also focuses on the protection of local ecosystems and ending fossil fuel subsidies. 

The B.C. Conservatives are promising to reduce administrative costs in health care and focus on spending money on frontline staff. They also promise to compensate health-care workers who lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Conservatives say they will allow for both public and private health-care options and allow patients who are waiting for care in B.C. to access services at approved out-of-province clinics.

If re-elected, the B.C. NDP says it will expand the program allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication and expand the range of services physician assistants can provide. Leader David Eby has said he will continue working to make it easier for doctors and nurses trained outside B.C. to get licences in the province. Sick notes and other "tedious" paperwork will be eliminated under an NDP government, Eby promises, giving doctors more time with patients. 

The B.C. Green Party has said it plans to establish a community health centre in each of B.C.'s 93 ridings, replacing urgent and primary care centres.

Leader John Rustad has announced a rebate plan exempting $1,500 a month in housing costs for both renters and homeowners starting in 2026. He's also said he plans to eliminate provisions under Bill 44, which allow multi-unit housing in single-family home neighbourhoods. His party also plans to bring in incentives for rental construction and promises not to bring in low-barrier housing or shelters in communities that don't want them.

The B.C. NDP has budgeted $1.29 billion to finance up to 40 per cent of the purchase price on homes for middle-income families in the province. Leader David Eby says more than 300,000 middle-class homes are expected to be built in B.C. as part of his party's housing plan. He said he wants to cut red tape preventing construction on smaller, multi-unit developments, and to use public land to build more homes. He plans to continue to cap residential rent at or below inflation, and wants to bring in pre-approved designs to speed up construction on new homes.

Leader Sonia Furstenau's housing plans include a promise to build 26,000 affordable rental units per year through projects like housing co-operatives. She plans to utilize public land specifically for non-profit housing and to purchase more land on which to build affordable housing as part of a $1.5 billion housing budget. The party is the only one so far to promise introducing vacancy control so that landlords can't hike rent in between tenants. 

The B.C. Conservative Party says it is seeking economic reconciliation for Indigenous groups, which includes the "strategic" return of lands to First Nations – including the return of 20 per cent of B.C. forests – and supporting First Nations to be economically independent. 

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. NDP has yet to share its policy around reconciliation and relationships with Indigenous communities.

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. Green Party has yet to share its policy around reconciliation and relationships with Indigenous communities.

Party leader John Rustad says he will bring in laws allowing for involuntary care of people suffering from severe addiction disorders. After the B.C. NDP walked back its drug decriminalization program in April, the Conservatives are planning to reverse the pilot project altogether, as well as close all supervised consumption sites.

As of Sept. 26, the NDP has not released any new policies addressing mental health and addiction in B.C. However, David Eby's government recriminalized the use of hard drugs in public spaces in April, just over a year after it began its decriminalization pilot project.

With former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe on their side, the B.C. Greens are pledging to expand the prescribed safer supply program to address the province's toxic drug crisis. The party is also promising more education around drugs in schools, and mental health support for students. It also plans to establish a standard of care for treatment programs and a database to help track outcomes for patients. A review of the Mental Health Act will be completed, psychotherapy will be regulated in the same way as other health professions, and mental health support will be an option for those calling 911, the Greens have pledged.

After the B.C. NDP walked back its drug decriminalization program in April following concerns over public safety from local elected officials and police, the B.C. Conservatives are planning to reverse the decriminalization pilot project altogether. The party says it will increase funding for law enforcement and is looking at harsher penalties for gang-related crimes and violence. The Conservatives are also looking at justice reform measures to deal with repeat offenders and people convicted of violent crimes. 

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. NDP has yet to share its policy around public safety.

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. Green Party has yet to share its policy around public safety.

The Conservative Party of B.C. has vowed to boost tax credits for family caregivers and increase funding for home-support services. The party also plans to add 5,000 new long-term care beds by 2030 to care for B.C.'s aging population, and provide funding for costly necessities like eyeglasses, hearing aids and shingles vaccines. Seniors' safety is also on the docket, as the party promises harsher penalties for crimes against seniors, and plans to keep seniors safe from scams through targeted educational campaigns.

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. NDP has yet to share its policy around supporting seniors.

As of Oct. 1, the B.C. Green Party has yet to share its policy around supporting seniors.