What B.C. Conservatives promised: taxes, housing, LNG, DRIPA

Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson’s B.C. Conservatives, who won a majority in Saturday’s provincial election, campaigned on no new taxes, an income tax cut the party says is worth about $1,000 for most workers, doubling liquefied natural gas production and repealing the province’s Indigenous rights law, according to the party’s platform and reporting by The Canadian Press.

None of the promises takes effect on election night. Tax changes and repeals need legislation or a budget after the new government is sworn in and the legislature sits. As of 11:35 p.m. MT Saturday, no swearing-in date had been announced. Results are in our main story, B.C. Conservatives win majority as Eby resigns as NDP leader.

Taxes

The Conservatives would raise the basic personal income tax exemption from $13,216 to $32,000, which The Canadian Press reported amounts to a tax cut of about $1,000 for most workers. The party’s plan says the change would save the average family $2,000 a year. Doerkson has also pledged no new taxes for the party’s whole time in government, a promise he repeated in his victory speech, CTV News reported, when he said he would “cut red tape like it has never been cut before.”

The party opposed the NDP’s increase of the lowest provincial income tax rate to 5.6 per cent from 5.06 per cent, its freeze on tax brackets through 2030 and a proposed expansion of the seven per cent PST to professional services such as accounting, The Canadian Press reported in September. The plan would also remove PST from Canadian alcohol for as long as the trade war lasts.

The deficit

B.C. faces a projected deficit of $13.8 billion, The Canadian Press reported. The Conservative plan relies on a forecast of 3.2 per cent economic growth to grow the economy and shrink the deficit, a forecast critics called optimistic, according to CP.

Energy and carbon pricing

The party’s plan promises to double B.C.’s LNG production by 2032 and triple it by 2035, and Doerkson repeated the pledge to double LNG on election night, CTV reported. The platform also proposes a 120-day permitting law for major projects worth more than $250 million, repeal of the CleanBC climate plan and a rule to cut red tape back to 2017 levels by the end of a first term.

B.C.’s consumer carbon tax was already eliminated by the NDP government in April 2025. On industrial carbon pricing, the platform says existing mines and smelters would get competitive carbon costs. The BC NDP said during the campaign that the platform dropped an earlier Conservative promise to scrap the industrial carbon tax.

Housing

The platform promises to cut construction taxes and charges, approve homes faster, align zoning bylaws with official community plans and overhaul the Step Code energy rules for new buildings. It also proposes provincial tax relief for families who build self-contained suites for senior relatives. At the Oct. 14 leaders’ debate, Doerkson said he would keep the foreign buyers tax and the speculation and vacancy tax in place.

On transportation, the Conservatives would replace the planned George Massey Tunnel upgrade with a 10-lane bridge, and both main parties promised a SkyTrain extension to Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, The Canadian Press reported.

Health care

The plan promises to keep emergency rooms and maternity wards open, with a $50-million rural health emergency fund, and to launch an expert commission within 100 days to cut wait times, with no user fees. It proposes a guarantee that the province would pay for surgery from another qualified provider when wait-time benchmarks are missed. It also commits to finishing the Cloverdale Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre on its $2.88-billion budget and building a Surrey women’s and children’s hospital.

DRIPA and schools

The Canadian Press reported that repealing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is the party’s top priority, and the party’s plan lists the repeal alongside what it calls a path forward on economic reconciliation. The Conservatives would also end the sexual orientation and gender identity guidelines, known as SOGI, in schools, according to CP and the party’s plan.

What else is in the plan

The platform would raise disability assistance by $100 a month, keep ICBC as a public insurer and buy water bombers before the next wildfire season. Doerkson said in October that a Conservative government would not raise ICBC rates.

For riding-by-riding results, see Conservatives lead all 10 Surrey ridings as B.C. map turns blue, and for the Greens, B.C. Greens hold two seats as Lowan wins Saanich North. Our campaign coverage includes the leaders’ final pitch and the final polls.

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Sources: B.C. Conservative Party plan (conservativebc.ca/plan) and platform, Lorne Doerkson’s Plan for a Stronger BC; The Canadian Press; CTV News; Global News; BC NDP campaign release.