British Columbia’s three main party leaders clashed over affordability, health care, Indigenous rights and more in a wide-ranging and, at times, heated debate Wednesday evening.
The debate featured interim B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson, B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and B.C. Green Leader Emily Lowan.
It was the only scheduled televised debate of the campaign, and came just over three weeks after Eby called a snap election for Oct. 24.
Moderator Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, said all parties represented in the legislature had agreed to the debate criteria. CentreBC and OneBC did not meet the requirements to participate.
CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko and OneBC leader Dallas Brodie each delivered a brief prerecorded statement near the end of the debate.
Eby began by defending his decision to call an election two years into his government’s mandate.
He said the NDP’s one-seat majority meant almost any vote could topple the government and that the party needs a stronger mandate to deliver the “big swings” required to respond to B.C.’s challenges, including the economic threat of U.S. tariffs.
The debate gave Doerkson an opportunity to introduce himself to voters.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA was relatively unknown until he was selected as interim leader roughly three weeks ago.
He slammed the election call as opportunism and promised “a different flavour of leadership.”
Lowan, who was elected Green leader last fall, is seeking a seat in the legislature for the first time.
She introduced herself as a renter and former minimum-wage worker, and highlighted her experience as a climate advocate.
She said that if the Greens held the balance of power, her top priority would be voting reform, including replacing B.C.’s first-past-the-post system with proportional representation.
Eby directed much of his criticism at Doerkson and the Conservatives, citing recent controversies involving party staff and candidates.
Those included anti-Islam social media posts by Conservative campaign director Katy Merrifield and alleged homophobic comments by Chilliwack North candidate Heather Maahs.
Doerkson said he stands against hate.
He defended Merrifield, saying she posted while dealing with trauma as a survivor of sexual violence, and confirmed she remains on the campaign.
Pressed by Eby on whether telling a colleague she is immoral for being gay is hateful, Doerkson said he would “see that as hate for certain.”
Doerkson countered by raising allegations of antisemitism within the NDP, citing the departure of former cabinet minister Selina Robinson.
Robinson resigned from cabinet in 2024 following controversy over comments she made about the history of Palestine.
The Conservatives have promised a $1,000 income tax cut, temporary PST removal on Canadian alcohol and a $50 million fund to support rural health care.
Eby pressed Doerkson on costs, saying the Conservatives had not released a fully costed platform and had made roughly $5 billion in promises.
Doerkson said British Columbians would see a full plan before they vote.
Eby also criticized the Conservatives’ proposal to replace ICBC’s no-fault system, saying it would raise rates.
Doerkson said he would cap lawyers’ fees but said rates would remain “competitive.”
Eby promised a three-year rate freeze on auto insurance.
Doerkson criticized the NDP’s record on health care, forestry and the economy.
Asked what he would cut, he said he would “fully fund healthcare,” and would focus on cutting “red tape” and bureaucratic spending.
Lowan criticized the NDP’s proposed new tax bracket affecting the top four per cent of income earners.
She said it taxes work rather than wealth and would raise only about $225 million next year, far short of what’s needed to tackle the record $13.8-billion deficit.
Lowan outlined the Greens’ proposed wealth tax, a one-time five per cent levy on fortunes over $50 million, followed by a smaller annual tax.
She claimed it would raise more than $22 billion in the first year to fund proposed programs like universal child care, social housing and free transit.
Lowan also criticized the NDP’s focus on liquefied natural gas, saying too much of the profit goes to foreign-owned companies.
Eby said the LNG Canada Phase 2 project would generate $28 billion in provincial revenue.
Asked where more than $20 billion in spending went after he inherited a surplus, Eby said the previous government’s balanced budgets came at the expense of school closures and seniors’ care.
“I’ll make sure that we grow the economy, we address wasteful spending,” he said.
Lowan also criticized Eby over what she described as the cancellation of the $1.4-billion Community Housing Fund in the provincial budget.
She said the Greens would build and protect 26,000 affordable housing units.
Eby said the province must make tough fiscal choices but denied social housing had been cancelled. He said construction would begin or finish on 4,000 units this year and promised another housing announcement soon.
Eby and Doerkson also clashed over taxes targeting property investors.
Eby accused the Conservative leader of reversing his position on the foreign buyers’ tax and the speculation and vacancy tax, which Conservatives had previously vowed to repeal.
Doerkson said he would keep both taxes and pledged to review the step code, and give municipalities more say over development.
The leaders also debated the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, known as DRIPA.
Doerkson defended his proposal to repeal the 2019 legislation, arguing it had created division and uncertainty surrounding private property rights and resource tenures.
Eby accused him of courting conflict with First Nations, while Lowan said DRIPA has no bearing on private property.
Advance voting runs Oct. 16 to 21, with general voting day on Oct. 24.
