Affordability takes center stage in provincial campaign

With the provincial election set for Oct. 24, B.C. NDP Leader David Eby is emphasizing cost-of-living challenges over previous warnings about American trade policies. Speaking on Tuesday during a campaign event at the Victoria Curling Club, Eby noted that deciding which party can best assist families during difficult times remains the core issue for voters.

Acknowledging differing views on U.S. leadership

When Eby initiated the snap election on Sept. 22, he framed the campaign around building a “firebreak” to protect British Columbia from Donald Trump’s economic policies and political style. However, the NDP leader now acknowledges that his concerns regarding the U.S. president are not shared by everyone in the province.

“Whether you believe and accept that Trump is making it much worse, it doesn’t matter because you’re still understanding that the cost of living is significant, that we need a strong public health-care system if you and your family get sick,” Eby said.

Opposition calls for action over press releases

The stance comes alongside criticism from interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, who described Trump at the start of the campaign as an “absolute bully.” Doerkson argued that confronting threats from the U.S. requires concrete action rather than issuing press releases.

Despite varying public anxieties, Eby maintains that U.S. actions continue to exert a real impact on British Columbians, even as his campaign shifts its primary focus back to household budgets and public services.

Conservative Plan Focuses on Rural ER Closures

Speaking outside 100 Mile District General Hospital on Monday, Oct. 5, Lorne Doerkson announced that a B.C. Conservative government would establish a $50-million emergency fund to support rural medical practices. Doerkson, the party’s interim leader and incumbent MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, said the funding aims to prevent closures and assist with recruitment.

During the campaign stop, Doerkson noted that the local emergency department had experienced 39 announced shutdowns throughout 2026, though last-minute locum coverage allowed Interior Health to reopen the facility on several of those occasions. Overall, the ER remained closed well over 30 times. Doerkson pledged to maintain approved 2026 healthcare funding levels, fast-track credentials for foreign-trained Canadian physicians, and recognize provincial medical qualifications automatically to aid frontline staffing.

Community Impact and NDP Response

Former Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett joined Doerkson, emphasizing that local residents and seniors rely on the emergency room, with some traveling up to an hour and a half for care. Local resident Amber Vigh, whose nine-year-old son Carter died at the hospital from an asthma attack in 2023, also voiced support for keeping the facility open continuously.

In response, B.C. NDP leader David Eby and party representatives criticized the Conservative proposal, questioning how the party would fund its healthcare promises without making service cuts. The NDP pointed to their own strategy of funding system investments through a proposed tax on high earners and millionaires. Doerkson countered that the proposed tax could deter new physicians from moving to British Columbia or prompt current doctors to leave.

Okanagan Stops Highlight Key Platforms

With campaign momentum building ahead of the Oct. 24 provincial election, B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson made separate campaign stops in Vernon over the weekend to connect with voters in a highly competitive riding.

Eby arrived on 30th Avenue on Saturday with a campaign bus to support local NDP candidate Harwinder Sandhu and several other area candidates, including Loyal Woolridge, Kory Clark, Gloria Morgan, and Binny Boparai. Speaking to roughly 80 attendees, Eby emphasized his party’s commitments to manage living costs, highlighting plans to temporarily suspend the 10-cent provincial motor fuel tax and place controls on gas prices. He also detailed a grocery proposal aimed at permitting new competing stores near established ones, which he stated can reduce annual household bills by an average of $700. In his remarks, Eby pointed to international factors as well, attributing current economic strains partly to impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Conservatives Outline Policies and Address Election Timing

Doerkson hosted a meet-and-greet on Friday, Oct. 2, drawing over 100 people to Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery alongside local Conservative candidate Kevin Acton. Earlier that morning in Summerland, Doerkson announced a half-billion-dollar wildfire initiative that includes purchasing a fleet of water bombers. Discussing economic measures, Doerkson highlighted a proposal to eliminate the 10 per cent PST on Canadian alcohol and focus on reducing interprovincial trade barriers as strategies to counter U.S. tariffs. He noted that health care, employment, and the economy remain the primary concerns raised by residents. Expressing frustration over the timing of the election call, Doerkson affirmed that his party remains focused on the upcoming vote.

Focus on the Local Contest

Both leaders used their appearances to rally support for their local representatives in the Vernon-Lumby contest. Eby praised Sandhu’s record of community-focused advocacy, noting her past electoral success in the area. Meanwhile, Doerkson commended Acton—who is also seeking re-election as mayor of Lumby—for his ongoing local leadership. Acton has committed to vacating his municipal seat and funding a municipal by-election should he be elected to provincial office.