Conservatives won’t stand up to big corporations, would drive up costs

A re-elected BC NDP government will protect people from gouging and unfair pricing tactics big corporations use to extract maximum profit from consumers. New measures include banning ticket scalping, expanding Consumer Protection BC's mandate, a “right to repair” law, and prohibiting algorithmic pricing.

“British Columbians are already feeling the squeeze. The last thing you need is big corporations manipulating prices in ways you can’t even see,” said David Eby, leader of the BC NDP. “We’ll stop these predatory practices. Because I believe it's the government's responsibility to set the rules of the road so you don’t get unfairly ripped off or manipulated.”

These new actions build on Eby’s plan to protect people from rising costs by taking on big oil and the grocery giants to lower costs for people. The BC NDP’s Price Guard will drive down the price of gas by as much as 30 cents a litre and cap excessive profits on essential food items. Meanwhile, Lorne Doerkson would cost you more – he has a secret deal with personal injury lawyers that would double car insurance rates.

“We know that Conservatives will never stand up to big corporations. They work for them – and that would cost you,” said Eby. “I’ve spent my whole life taking on powerful interests to help ordinary people, and I’m not going to stop now.”

Five ways David Eby and the BC NDP will protect consumers and workers:

• Ban ticket scalping: Prohibit resellers and bots from inflating entertainment and concert ticket prices on secondary sites, restricting them to offering tickets only at face value with meaningful penalties for violations.
• Expand the power of Consumer Protection BC: Broaden Consumer Protection BC's scope beyond currently licensed sectors so investigators can examine unfair business practices and consumer complaints about emerging issues like algorithmic pricing.
• Prohibit predatory algorithmic pricing: Strengthen privacy and consumer protection laws to stop corporations from using personal data and market power to set unfair prices. Give the Information and Privacy Commissioner the power to issue monetary penalties.
• Introduce Right to Repair legislation: You bought it, you should be able to fix it. Require manufacturers to give consumers and independent shops fair access to replacement parts, tools, software, and repair information, while banning planned obsolescence.
• Restrict non-compete clauses: Amend the Employment Standards Act to ban companies from using non-compete clauses to limit workers' future employment opportunities, while maintaining existing protections for trade secrets.