B.C. leaders clash on affordability and health care in only televised debate before October 24 vote
David Eby, Lorne Doerkson, and Emily Lowan sparred for nearly two hours Wednesday on spending priorities with Conservatives narrowly leading in polls ahead of the election.
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The three major party leaders in British Columbia faced off Wednesday in the only live televised leaders' debate of the provincial election campaign, clashing on affordability, health care, the province's finances, and Indigenous rights over nearly two hours.
David Eby (NDP Leader), Lorne Doerkson (Conservative Leader), and Emily Lowan (Green Leader) debated on Global BC, CBC, CTV, CITY TV, CHEK, and CPAC, with Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, moderating. The election is set for October 24.
Eby called the snap election two years ahead of schedule seeking a strong mandate for what he described as an "existential moment," after his NDP held just a one-seat majority. "When you have a one-seat majority, after you appoint a speaker, it's tough. Every vote potentially could bring down the government," he told the debate audience.
Doerkson accused Eby of calling the election opportunistically, characterizing himself as an unknown entity in B.C. politics one month ago but seeing opportunity for British Columbians. Lowan, roughly half the age of elected representatives in the legislature, argued youth is an asset in politics marked by a "huge generational rift," characterizing the NDP as a "party of broken promises and recycled ideas" while accusing Conservatives of being "opaque on what they would cut to fund promises."
On health care, Eby proposed increasing taxes on income over $190,000 to hire more medical professionals — a plan Lowan and Doerkson contested. The debate grew testy at times as the three squared off over their competing visions for the province.
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko and OneBC interim Leader Dallas Brodie were excluded from the debate. The broadcast consortium did not detail the criteria used to exclude them, though neither party is running enough candidates to form a majority government. Sturko, who became CentreBC leader last month, describes the party as fiscally responsible and socially progressive, targeting centrist voters who feel displaced by the NDP and Conservatives. OneBC was formed last year.
Polls show Conservatives narrowly leading the NDP, with Greens in distant third.
What specific health care investments does each party plan beyond the NDP's tax increase proposal?
Why did the broadcast consortium exclude CentreBC and OneBC, and what threshold did the included parties meet?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
