B.C. Parties Clash Over Housing and Taxes Before Election
Political parties in British Columbia have unveiled competing housing and tax platforms as advance voting begins for the October 24 provincial election.
Advance voting began on October 16 for the British Columbia provincial election, following a snap election called by Premier David Eby on September 22. The contest, concluding on October 24, features starkly different visions for the province's housing crisis and fiscal policy.
Eby and the B.C. NDP propose a new unsold condo tax starting at 2% for units empty for over a year, alongside increased speculation and vacancy taxes to improve affordability. To fund public services, the NDP plans to increase income taxes for high earners. In contrast, the B.C. Conservatives, led by Lorne Doerkson, intend to raise the basic income threshold to lower taxes for most workers and have criticized provincial housing mandates as overly strained.
Other parties are pushing for deregulation and alternative funding models. OneBC pledges to block municipal rent controls and scrap the B.C. Energy Step Code, while CentreBC proposes strict deadlines for rezonings and a goal of 5,000 pre-fabricated mass-timber homes annually by 2030. The B.C. Green Party is prioritizing renter protections, vacancy control, and a tax on extreme wealth for assets exceeding $50 million.
Beyond housing and taxes, the parties are divided over the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The Conservatives, CentreBC, and OneBC have pledged to repeal the act, while the Greens support its maintenance.
