B.C. can’t afford Conservatives’ hidden cuts, higher costs, and leadership chaos

Surrey - On the final day of the election campaign, BC NDP leader David Eby is visiting battleground ridings with a clear closing message: together, voters can stop Conservative cuts and build a stronger B.C.

“At this existential moment for our province and our country, we need a government that can take big swings to make life better for people. That’s what my plan does – it will lower your costs, strengthen your health care, and build an economy that’s less reliant on the United States,” said Eby.

Eby said the cost of electing the Conservatives is too high, citing $5 billion in unfunded promises, including tax breaks for the wealthy, that will mean cuts to healthcare and other services. Interim BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has refused to rule out a proponent of U.S.-style for-profit health care as minister or guarantee he would survive a post-election leadership challenge, with rivals already lining up.

“Lorne Doerkson has been in hiding most of the campaign. He isn’t answering questions because he knows you won’t like the answers: backdoor cuts to health care, secret deals with powerful interests to double car insurance and send home prices skyrocketing again, and leadership chaos after the election,” said Eby.

While avoiding reporters and voters, Doerkson has made closed-door promises to max donors. At one event, he committed to ripping up B.C.’s housing plan, which has driven rents down faster here than anywhere else in Canada. This approach follows Doerkson’s secret letter to personal injury lawyers promising to let them cash in again and that “everything is on the table.”

“We are learning more about what a Conservative government would look like: it would side with wealthy interests, cut services families rely on, and drive up your costs when you can least afford it. Let’s vote together to build a stronger B.C. that works for everyone,” Eby concluded.