The British Columbia Conservatives say their platform will create $2.6 billion in new revenue over three years, while shrinking the deficit to $10.8 billion by 2030. The party says its platform — released days before the Oct. 24 election — amounts to restraint, not austerity. The document says that if Gross Domestic Product grows by 2.5 per cent in 2027, 2.8 per cent in 2028, and 3.2 per cent in 2029, the province will collect an additional $2.62 billion over three years, compared with the NDP’s own forecast. Conservatives say they will chop spending by freezing outside hiring, cutting consultants, and will review spending on numerous government ministries. The 71-page platform says the core review would find about $1.8 billion over four years, while the hiring freeze and attrition of staff outside the front lines would save about $2 billion over the same period. The New Democrats say they’ve costed interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson’s promises during the election and say income tax cuts and taking the PST off Canadian alcohol and other items would reduce revenues by more than $4.3 billion a year and boost the deficit by 33 per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2026.
