Eby signs public health care guarantee with NDP candidates in North Delta town hall
B.C. NDP leader pledges to protect public health care, close billing loopholes, and expand rural emergency room staffing if elected.
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David Eby, B.C. NDP leader, signed the Public Health Care Guarantee at a town hall in Sunbury Hall in North Delta on Thanksgiving Monday with more than 100 supporters and Lower Mainland candidates present. Every B.C. NDP candidate has signed the pledge, which commits to protecting public health care and stopping out-of-pocket charges.
Todd Schierling, Delta North candidate and a firefighter, handed Eby the guarantee to sign in front of the audience. Eby invoked Alberta under Conservative government as a cautionary example of out-of-pocket charges spreading into publicly insured services.
"Universal public health care is an expression of who we are as Canadians. It's a promise that we take care of each other, no matter who you are or how big your bank account is," Eby told the town hall audience.
If elected, the NDP will close loopholes allowing clinics to charge user fees and extra billing for publicly insured, medically necessary services. Eby's plan includes phasing out expensive private agency nurses and redirecting those savings into the Go Health BC program, which sends public travel nurses to staff rural emergency rooms.
Town hall attendees raised concerns about pharmacare, family doctor shortages, wait lists for MRIs and CAT scans, and rural emergency room closures. Eby cited lack of doctors and nurses as the reason for ER shutdowns and promised a new medical school at SFU in Surrey. The NDP plans to triple recruitment of American health professionals and create a new program training internationally-trained doctors and nurses, especially those committing to live in rural areas.
The Beedie long-term care centre at Delta Hospital, paused earlier this year due to financial constraints, is now back on track, Eby stated. Seven long-term care projects will proceed through B.C.-Canada Prosperity agreement funding, part of a broader plan with 16 completed projects, 7 under construction, and 15 in planning. The NDP commits to a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre in North Delta if elected.
B.C.'s provincial election is October 24.
How many health workers from the U.S. have already committed to moving to B.C. under current recruitment efforts?
What is the per-bed cost reduction projected by the new long-term care model versus the previous approach?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
At a glance
What is the Public Health Care Guarantee?
The Public Health Care Guarantee is a pledge signed by every B.C. NDP candidate that commits to protecting public health care and stopping out-of-pocket charges for publicly insured services.
What will the NDP do about rural emergency rooms if elected?
The NDP will phase out expensive private agency nurses and redirect those savings into the Go Health BC program, which sends public travel nurses to staff rural emergency rooms. The party also plans to train more doctors and nurses, particularly those committing to work in rural areas.
When is B.C.'s provincial election?
B.C.'s provincial election is October 24, 2026.
