The Conservatives must reverse the policies that have undermined B.C.’s economy and contributed to the deterioration of public services
WINNIPEG — The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is warning B.C.’s incoming Conservative government that winning the election will mean little unless it tackles the policies behind the province’s mounting debt, unaffordable housing, lengthy health-care waits and struggling resource industries.
The Conservatives have pledged to reduce the provincial deficit to $10.8 billion by 2030. But that would still leave British Columbia borrowing billions annually. The province’s September financial update projects total debt of $180.9 billion by the end of 2026-27.
David Leis
“Winning an election is one thing. Turning around a province that has been moving in the wrong direction is another,” said David Leis, president and CEO of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. “The Conservatives need to address the policies that created these problems in the first place.”
The Frontier Centre outlined its proposed reforms in Frontier Blueprint: British Columbia 2026, released before the election.
1. Balance the budget, not just reduce the deficit. B.C. faces a projected $13.8-billion deficit in 2026-27. Reducing that deficit would still leave the province borrowing money. The Conservatives should limit spending increases to population growth plus inflation, eliminate corporate subsidies and commit to balancing the budget within their first term.
2. Make B.C. competitive again. Tax relief will accomplish less if the province remains an expensive place to invest and employ people. The Conservatives should reverse recent income-tax increases, restore inflation adjustments to tax brackets and repeal the proposed sales tax expansion to professional services. They should also begin phasing out the employer health tax, which is levied on employers’ payrolls.
3. Remove the barriers driving up housing costs. Subsidies and housing programs cannot solve an affordability crisis while government policies restrict where homes can be built and increase construction costs. The province should make more land available for housing. It should also allow homes to be built on land already served by roads, water and sewer systems without requiring separate municipal approvals for each project. It should also eliminate development cost charges, which municipalities collect from developers to help pay for infrastructure needed by new developments.
4. Change how health care is delivered. Spending more on health care will not necessarily shorten waiting times if hospitals are funded mainly through fixed budgets rather than the number and type of patients they treat. With patients waiting a median of 32.2 weeks from referral to treatment, the government should introduce activity-based hospital funding, which ties funding to the number and type of services hospitals provide. It should also expand publicly funded procedures in independent clinics and improve rural emergency-room staffing.
5. Restore certainty over private property. Uncertainty surrounding Aboriginal title claims can affect property values, financing and investment. The government should protect registered private property interests. Where Aboriginal title affects privately owned land, the Crown should bear the financial responsibility rather than individual property owners, while respecting constitutionally protected Indigenous rights.
6. Put student achievement first. B.C.’s average mathematics score on international assessments fell from 538 in 2003 to 496 in 2022. The Conservatives should restore provincewide standardized testing, publish school-level results and expand parental choice through charter schools and independent-school funding.
7. Make resource investment possible again. Promising more forestry and energy jobs will mean little without predictable rules that allow projects to proceed. With 21 mills closed permanently or indefinitely since 2023, the Conservatives should reform forestry permitting and the stumpage fees companies pay to harvest timber on Crown land. They should also establish a two-year approval process for major resource projects and improve access to Pacific export markets.
8. Introduce competition where government monopolies limit choice. The government should allow private insurers to compete with ICBC in compulsory basic automobile insurance and permit more independent electricity generation alongside BC Hydro. It should also examine opportunities to sell Crown assets that are not essential to delivering public services.
“British Columbia has the resources, people and economic advantages to be one of Canada’s most prosperous provinces,” said Leis. “But those advantages cannot overcome policies that discourage investment, drive up costs and leave people waiting for essential services. The Conservatives now have the opportunity to change that. British Columbians will judge them by the results.”
About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy
Founded in Winnipeg in 1997, the Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent, nonpartisan Canadian think tank focused on economic growth, responsible citizenship, good governance and public-sector reform. It does not accept government funding.
Media contact:
David Leis
President and CEO
Frontier Centre for Public Policy
[email protected]
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