Where five BC parties stand on 14 issues before the Oct 24 vote

Voters heading to the polls Saturday face sharp choices on LNG, private health care and car insurance, a BC Ballot review of 1,954 commitments by the five parties with the most candidates shows.

On energy, the BC Greens stand apart: they would end approvals for new LNG terminals and fossil-fuel pipelines. The BC NDP would continue to support LNG expansion, CentreBC would back LNG projects with First Nations partners and “a credible plan to be net-zero ready,” the Conservatives would approve LNG projects and their pipelines, and OneBC would approve a pipeline to Prince Rupert or Kitimat.

On health care, the line runs the other way. OneBC would allow private health care alongside fully funded public health care. The BC Greens would end “the creeping privatization of healthcare,” the BC NDP would oppose out-of-pocket charges for medically necessary care, CentreBC would not allow private-pay options that pull doctors and resources out of the public system, and the Conservatives would ensure British Columbians never need more than their health card to get care.

Car insurance splits the same way: OneBC would end ICBC’s no-fault system. The BC Greens would support and continue the no-fault model for car crashes, the BC NDP would keep lawyer expenses out of the insurance system, CentreBC would keep ICBC public but allow pain-and-suffering awards for catastrophic injuries from 2031, and the Conservatives would preserve no-fault insurance “for the vast majority of claims.”

They also split on DRIPA, income taxes, the province’s forest harvest target and SOGI 123. The BC Greens would implement DRIPA, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, through legislation. CentreBC would repeal and replace it, and the Conservatives and OneBC would repeal it. The BC NDP, CentreBC, the Conservatives and OneBC would each protect private property.

The BC NDP would raise income tax rates on the highest earners, and CentreBC, the Conservatives and OneBC would each cut income taxes. The BC Greens would reject the proposed Working Forest Model and its 45 million cubic metre harvest objective; CentreBC would work toward harvesting 45 million cubic metres, and the Conservatives and OneBC would each increase the supply of wood fibre. The BC Greens would continue supporting and expanding SOGI 123; the Conservatives would repeal it, and OneBC would remove it from classrooms.

OneBC had posted its plan page by Sept 26. CentreBC published its platform on Oct 10, the BC Greens theirs on Oct 13 and the BC NDP its plan on Oct 14. The Conservatives published their full platform on Oct 18, the third day of advance voting. Elections BC says 571,055 people voted in the first four days of advance voting, Oct 16 to 19.

Housing drew the most readers of BC Ballot’s issue pages from Oct 14 to 20, followed by health care, and DRIPA and Indigenous relations; wildfires drew the fewest.

Advance voting is open until 8 p.m. Wednesday. Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.