BC NDP leader David Eby faced a flurry of attacks on his provincial government’s record from Conservative Party of British Columbia leader Lorne Doerkson and Green Party of British Columbia leader Emily Lowan during the 2026 provincial election campaign’s only televised debate on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The provincial general election’s main voting day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24.
The three leaders clashed over taxes, housing, healthcare, First Nations reconciliation, and public safety, offering competing explanations for B.C.’s problems and how they would address them.
Doerkson argued that lower taxes and catalyzing economic growth would improve living standards and fund services. Lowan proposed taxing extreme wealth to expand public programs. Eby defended his administration’s investments while repeatedly challenging the Conservatives to explain how they would pay for their promises.
Much of the exchanges throughout the debate were between the BC NDP and Conservative leaders, while the Green leader joined the Conservative leader in frequently challenging the BC NDP leader to confront his administration’s record and proposals.
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Eby: “I want to do more for the province, but I need a strong mandate. I need every vote not to be a tie vote.”
Debate moderator Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, opened by questioning Eby’s decision to call a snap election and overlap with municipal elections.
Eby asserted his narrow BC NDP majority had left the provincial government preoccupied with surviving legislative votes, limiting its ability to make major changes.
“I want to do more for the province, but I need a strong mandate. I need every vote not to be a tie vote. I need the support of British Columbians who know that we have to respond in this moment,” said the premier.
Doerkson accused Eby of choosing a snap election for political advantage, with that election call coinciding with the Conservative’s sudden change of leadership following months of infighting within the opposition party.
“He called a snap election because he saw opportunity for himself, and I see opportunity for British Columbians,” said Doerkson.
The Conservative leader also faced scrutiny over controversial remarks attributed to the party’s campaign director, Katy Merrifield. Kurl cited Merrifield’s description of Islam as an “abhorrent ideology,” while Eby accused Heather Maahs — the Conservative candidate for the riding of Chilliwack North — of telling Surrey Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko, who is now the leader of the Centre BC party, she was immoral because of her sexual orientation as a lesbian.
Doerkson countered by accusing B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma, a member of Eby’s cabinet, of posting racist content on her social media and challenging Eby to condemn it. He also raised former cabinet minister Selina Robinson’s allegations of widespread antisemitism within the BC NDP.
With Kurl pointing to a $13.8-billion provincial deficit for the 2026/2027 fiscal year — with no meaningful turnaround in sight in the provincial government’s budget forecasts through the end of the decade — the debate repeatedly returned to how the parties would finance their commitments.
Doerkson promised to fully fund healthcare and frontline services, find savings in the bureaucracy, and encourage growth in forestry, liquefied natural gas, and other industries. He said a fuller financial plan would be available before voting day.
Eby argued that what he described as $5 billion in Conservative platform commitments, combined with tax reductions and deficit reduction, would require service cuts. He defended the BC NDP’s proposed income tax increases for people earning more than $190,405, including a new tax bracket for incomes of more than $1 million, as a way to improve provincial services.
Lowan challenged Eby’s income tax approach, arguing it would raise too little while burdening high-earning workers.
“My biggest issue with your plan, Mr. Eby, is that you are taxing work and not wealth. And that is going to take the biggest toll on people like health professionals, doctors, professors. That is where the vast majority of this very minuscule revenue is coming from,” said Lowan.
She outlined the Green party’s platform promise of a one-time, five per cent tax on fortunes of $50 million or more, followed by an annual tax. Lowan says her party is projecting revenues of $22.2 billion in the first year and about $5.4 billion annually afterward to help reduce the deficit and fund affordable housing, childcare, and public transit.
On household costs, Eby promoted measures intended to lower a portion of the gas taxes and reduce essential grocery prices. Lowan proposed opening 20 publicly operated grocery stores, while Doerkson said his income tax changes would eliminate provincial income tax for people earning less than $32,000.
Doerkson: “The reality is we have to improve the relationship with our municipalities.”
Housing brought further challenges to Eby’s record.
Doerkson called for fewer permitting obstacles, a review of building requirements, and greater municipal government control over housing. The Conservative leader suggested his party would roll back at least some of the provincial housing requirements and mandates imposed on municipal governments through the BC NDP-led provincial government’s housing legislation over the past three years.
“The reality is we have to improve the relationship with our municipalities. There is no way that David Eby or anybody else in Victoria should be demanding what municipalities build, where and how. We have to improve that relationship,” said the Conservative leader.
Lowan criticized the BC NDP’s funding cuts in the 2026 provincial budget that affected many proposed affordable housing projects, with the cuts serving as a measure to help stabilize the provincial government’s finances. Her party is proposing to build and protect 26,000 affordable homes. Eby responded that 4,000 social housing units were expected to begin construction or be completed in 2026.
On healthcare, Eby emphasized recruiting more professionals, including tripling recruitment of American health workers, especially doctors. Lowan proposed creating community health centres in every riding.
Asked about pivoting the current public healthcare system into a private or hybrid healthcare model, Doerkson replied firmly: “I want a fully public system that everyone in this province can access,” effectively ruling out some speculation that his party would push a move to a private model.
Doerkson also proposed a $50-million fund to support emergency departments facing closures and stronger hospital security.
ICBC and the future of provincial insurance produced another sharp disagreement. Doerkson defended his platform promise of changing the no-fault system, arguing that seriously injured people and bereaved families were not receiving adequate support. He promised competitive premiums and limits on lawyers’ charges, but did not give Kurl’s requested guarantee that rates would not rise.
Eby warned that under the Conservatives, restoring greater access to personal injury lawsuits would increase premiums. He highlighted the BC NDP’s proposed three-year rate freeze.
Doerkson: “[DRIPA] has not helped British Columbia. It has created more division on the landscape than I have ever seen in my life.”
The leaders also clashed over the BC NDP’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and the implications for reconciliation, economic development, investment attraction, and private property.
Doerkson pledged to repeal DRIPA, citing disputes over docks, mining claims, and land tenures, while insisting he would maintain partnerships with First Nations.
“It has not helped British Columbia. It has created more division on the landscape than I have ever seen in my life, and this legislation is not that old. The reality is, is that we are more divided on this topic than ever before. There has to be a better path forward, and that is through respect and relations and certainly partnerships with First Nations in this province. I’m absolutely committed to that.
“We have to ensure private property rights for owners. We have to ensure that tenures that exist on the landscape are also protected in some way. And if we share in that wealth, that’s fantastic. But DRIPA is not solving the issue in British Columbia. And frankly, the court cases are rampant throughout the province… It has to be repealed.”
Eby defended DRIPA’s role in supporting Indigenous partnerships and major projects, warning that repeal would create further conflict. He also said his administration was appealing court decisions to protect private property.
“When you own your private property, you need to know what you have and you need to know what you can do with it,” said Eby.
In December 2025, Eby pledged to amend DRIPA after the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that the legislation gave the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) immediate legal effect in provincial law, allowing courts to assess whether B.C. laws were consistent with it. He subsequently shifted from amendments to temporarily suspending key provisions, delayed introducing legislation, and ultimately shelved both options for the Spring 2026 legislative session amid strong First Nations opposition. Instead, his provincial government agreed to work with First Nations leaders to find a solution before the Fall 2026 legislative session, which has now been interrupted by the snap provincial election.
Lowan opposed any move to repeal and called for DRIPA’s application on all laws of British Columbia, accusing Eby of shifting positions and the Conservatives of spreading misinformation.
“DRIPA has no bearing on private property,” said Lowan. “It sets out the rules for government to go ahead, do their homework, and bring up our legislation in alignment with B.C. laws and the minimum standards set out by the U.N. on human rights of Indigenous people.”
During the debate, Eby was asked whether there were any deals that have not been made public to hand over land to First Nation. He skirted around the issue in his answer. However, about 12 hours later, on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 15, local reporter Rob Shaw broke a story on confidential pre-election documents revealing the BC NDP’s secret plan to transfer 400 Crown parcels to First Nations.
Eby: “We have tried to house people with serious mental health and addiction issues in social housing that’s not equipped for the needs that they have.”
On public safety, Eby and Doerkson backed involuntary care for people with severe mental health and addiction issues, while Lowan argued the provincial government had failed to provide sufficient voluntary treatment and support.
Doerkson called for more police officers and support staff, expanded treatment, and better management of supportive housing facilities. He argued that communities needed protection from random violence while vulnerable residents needed more consistent care.
“We cannot have the random attacks,” said the Conservative leader.
“The reality is we have to bolster our police force, not just with new police people, not just with RCMP, but we obviously have to commit to support services for them as well because they need to be on the street and the reality is we need more help on our streets right now.”
Eby pointed to efforts to target repeat offenders and combat extortion, while promising involuntary care in every region of the province. He said sites had already been identified in Surrey, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver party added a non-binding public safety plebiscite to this month’s City of Vancouver civic election ballot. One question concerns stronger enforcement against public hard drug use, while the other calls on the provincial government to establish a secure medical treatment facility in Vancouver, with at least 100 involuntary care beds and additional voluntary care beds — for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
During the debate’s broad public safety discussion, Eby did not specifically address Vancouver’s plebiscite or commit to establishing such a facility in the city.
However, Eby acknowledged that some people had been placed in housing unable to meet their very complex needs. He defended involuntary care as a way to provide treatment to people unable to seek it themselves and help them rebuild their lives.
“We have tried to house people with serious mental health and addiction issues in social housing that’s not equipped for the needs that they have,” said Eby, asserting that the current housing-first model without helpful treatment has failed for such individuals.
“This is a real group of people and they are really struggling and they do need care and support and with the closure of Riverview, which took place under the BC Liberals, we’ve been trying to recover ever since.”
Eby emphasized that involuntary care should not be equated with imprisonment. His remarks contrast with those of Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam, who described Vancouver’s public safety plebiscite proposal to explore converting part of the old St. Paul’s Hospital campus into a secure medical treatment facility with involuntary care beds as a “prison.”
“Opening this involuntary care, it’s not a jail cell. In some cases, it’s in a jail because people have already been arrested but the work that we’re doing is to provide the dignified care so that people are not lying half naked in a gutter, that they’re actually getting the care and can rebuild their lives and many people do rebuild their lives,” continued the premier.
Lowan opposed expanding involuntary treatment, calling instead for a stronger public health response involving voluntary care, harm reduction, housing, and social services. She argued that addressing those gaps would reduce both deaths and crime.
The debate ended with questions about whether the parties could work together if the provincial election ends with the result of a minority government. Eby said he would respect the result and suggested he would work with parties generally aligned with the BC NDP, but expressed difficulty imagining cooperation with the Conservatives.
Doerkson asserted his party is now unified — following the change of leadership that suddenly saw him come under the spotlight and become the permanent party leader, after months of infighting within the Conservatives — and promised to work with other parties. Lowan called for transitioning to a proportional representation system of electing MLAs, and suggested a stronger Green presence in the legislature as a way to hold the BC NDP and Conservatives accountable.
Watch all 1 hour and 48 minutes of the 2026 B.C. provincial election televised debate, held on Oct. 14, in the video below:
For electing MLAs in provincial ridings and to help determine which provincial party will form the next provincial government, the provincial general election’s main voting day is Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, with advance voting taking place over six days from Friday, Oct. 16 to Wednesday, Oct. 21. Here is a complete guide on voting in the provincial election, including dates and times, locations, eligibility, and acceptable identification.
Across B.C. communities, the municipal election’s main voting day is Saturday, Oct. 17, a full week before the provincial election. This separate election will fill municipal government positions for mayor, City Council, and other local representatives.
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- Confidential pre-election documents reveal David Eby's BC NDP secret plan to transfer 400 Crown parcels to First Nations
- Opinion: David Eby's BC NDP needs a better reason than Trump for a snap election
- Lorne Doerkson's B.C. Conservatives promise $1,000 annual income tax cut by raising tax-free amount
- David Eby's BC NDP proposes higher income taxes on top earners to raise $1 billion per year
- Emily Lowan's BC Greens propose wealth taxes of up to 20% on fortunes exceeding $50 million
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- Lorne Doerkson's B.C. Conservatives propose replacing ICBC's no-fault system, consider private auto insurance competition
- David Eby and BC NDP plan to keep basic ICBC insurance rates frozen
- B.C. developers and housing non-profits unite in election push to cut construction costs
- How to vote in the 2026 provincial election, including advance voting