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BC Ballot / Party platforms / Government and budgets

Government and budgets: what each party would do

BC’s deficit and debt from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Accounts, the law on balanced budgets, and what each of BC’s five parties has committed to on government and budgets.

Party sites checked October 6, 2026

Each party on government and budgets

  • BC Green

  • BC NDP

    No commitment published Checked Oct 6

  • CentreBC

    No commitment published Checked Oct 6

  • Conservative

    All Conservative commitments on government and budgets Show three Conservative commitments
    • Apply the principle that Metro Vancouver shouldn’t do what two or three municipalities can handle together

      A Conservative government will apply a simple principle to reform: If another level of government is already doing it, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it. If it can be handled by two or three municipalities working together, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it. If it is being done, or can be done, by the private sector, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it.

      conservativebc.ca: Conservative Platform: Delivering Essential Services and Cutting Waste at Metro Vancouver, October 5.

    • Apply the principle that Metro Vancouver shouldn’t do what the private sector does or can do

      A Conservative government will apply a simple principle to reform: If another level of government is already doing it, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it. If it can be handled by two or three municipalities working together, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it. If it is being done, or can be done, by the private sector, Metro Vancouver shouldn’t be doing it.

      conservativebc.ca: Conservative Platform: Delivering Essential Services and Cutting Waste at Metro Vancouver, October 5.

    • Return Metro Vancouver’s housing, economic development, air quality and climate policy to local and provincial governments

      Housing, economic development, air quality and climate policy are already the responsibility of local governments and the province. These functions will be returned to the governments accountable for them, ending costly duplication.

      conservativebc.ca: Conservative Platform: Delivering Essential Services and Cutting Waste at Metro Vancouver, October 5.

    • Keep politics out of the Metro Vancouver utility, if elected

      If elected, Conservatives will protect taxpayers by cutting the waste and keeping politics out of the utility.

      conservativebc.ca: Conservative Platform: Delivering Essential Services and Cutting Waste at Metro Vancouver, October 5.

  • OneBC

    • Balance budgets within 4 years, aiming towards running surplus budgets

      Balanced budgets within 4 years, with an aim towards running surplus budgets

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Put a portion of budget surpluses towards debt repayment

      A portion of budget surpluses will be put towards debt repayment to quickly reduce the costs of debt servicing in the budget

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

    • Adopt the Western Canada Alliance plan to work with Alberta and Saskatchewan to strengthen provincial sovereignty

      Adopt the Western Canada Alliance plan for British Columbia to work with the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan to strengthen our provincial sovereignty and bargaining position for Western Canadian interests and energy projects.

      Plan page, 1bc.ca/priorities: Our Plan, 1bc.ca/priorities.

The rules and the terms

Deficit, debt and staffing

Deficit forecast, 2026/27 As of September 14, 2026; the report’s text gives $13.8 billion. Budget 2026 forecast $13,309 million
$13,759 million First Quarterly Report 2026/27, p. 1
Deficit, 2025/26, actual The year before, 2024/25: $7,347 million
$7,700 million Public Accounts 2025/26, p. 11 The Auditor General’s opinion on these statements is qualified. The report says the government’s method of accounting for certain contributions, which it records as deferred revenue, is a departure from Canadian public sector accounting standards, and that $0.91 billion of the resulting overstatement of the annual deficit is in the current fiscal year.
Taxpayer-supported debt forecast, end of 2026/27 As of September 14, 2026; the report’s text gives $141.1 billion. Total provincial debt, with self-supported debt: $180,886 million
$141,139 million First Quarterly Report 2026/27, p. 1
Taxpayer-supported debt per person, 2026/27 forecast Per capita, using July 1 population. Total provincial debt per person: $32,044
$25,003 First Quarterly Report 2026/27, Table A14 The same report’s Table A15 prints this figure as 25,002.
Taxpayer-supported debt to GDP, end of 2026/27 Projected, as of September 14, 2026
30.1 per cent First Quarterly Report 2026/27, p. 17 For the year before, 2025/26, two official documents print the actual ratio differently: the Public Accounts say 26.3%, and the First Quarterly Report’s Table A14 prints 26.2.
Interest bite, 2026/27 Cents of each dollar of revenue, forecast, for taxpayer-supported debt
6.1 cents First Quarterly Report 2026/27, p. 1
BC Public Service staffing forecast, 2026/27 Full-time equivalents, a measure of staff employment calculated from hours paid, which the report says does not equate to the number of employees; unchanged from budget
37,700 First Quarterly Report 2026/27, p. 12

The tables

Surplus (deficit) by fiscal year, $ millions
Fiscal yearStatusSurplus (deficit), $ millions
2019/20Actual(531)
2020/21Actual(5,615)
2021/22Actual1,262
2022/23Actual956
2023/24Actual(5,035)
2024/25Actual(7,347)
2025/26Actual(7,700)
2026/27Updated forecast(13,759)
2027/28Plan(12,671)
2028/29Plan(11,988)

Government of BC, Ministry of Finance: “Figures have been restated to reflect government current accounting policies.”

Source: First Quarterly Report 2026/27, Table A4, Operating Statement, 2019/20 to 2028/29.

Provincial debt by fiscal year, $ millions
Fiscal yearStatusTotal taxpayer-supported debt, $ millionsTotal provincial debt, $ millions
2019/20Actual46,22972,161
2020/21Actual59,75087,100
2021/22Actual62,34190,666
2022/23Actual59,88889,380
2023/24Actual75,402107,462
2024/25Actual99,089133,877
2025/26Actual117,440154,795
2026/27Updated forecast141,139180,886
2027/28Plan165,615209,683
2028/29Plan187,272235,847

Source: First Quarterly Report 2026/27, Table A13, Provincial Debt, 2019/20 to 2028/29.

Recorded votes

  1. The main budget motion, that the Speaker do now leave the Chair for the House to go into Committee of Supply: passed, 48 to 44

    48 for 44 against 1 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  2. Third reading of Bill 16, the Supply Act, 2025-2026: passed, 48 to 44

    48 for 44 against 1 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  3. The main budget motion, that the Speaker do now leave the Chair for the House to go into Committee of Supply: passed, 46 to 46. The votes were equal and the Speaker cast his vote in favour.

    46 for 46 against 1 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  4. Second reading of Bill 2, the Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2026: passed, 46 to 45

    46 for 45 against 2 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  5. Third reading of Bill 2, the Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2026: passed, 46 to 46. The votes were equal and the Speaker cast his vote in favour.

    46 for 46 against 1 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  6. Third reading of Bill 22, the Supply Act, 2026-2027: passed, 46 to 45

    46 for 45 against 2 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

Other recorded votes on budgets

Keep comparing

All 15 issues, compared Every party’s commitments on every issueCompare any two parties Side by side, issue by issueWho is running in your riding Every candidate, by riding

Each party’s page, at government and budgets

Sources