Election 2026: Campaign Roundup - Day 14

Welcome to Day 14 of our British Columbia 2026 Campaign Roundup!

We're bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

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Campaign Roundup - Day 14:

• BC NDP Leader David Eby said his party would introduce a new tax bracket for people earning $1 million or more to help fund health care if re-elected. Eby said the proposal would ask higher earners to contribute more toward public services. But Kim Moody, founder of one of Canada's premier tax law and accounting firms, noted that this proposed tax doesn’t only increase taxes on those earning more than a million. In reality, anyone earning between $190,405 and $265,545 would see their provincial tax rate rise 2% from 16.8% to 18.8%, those earning between $265,545 and $1 million will also see a 2% hike from 20.5% to 22.5%, and those earning over $1 million would see a 4% hike from 20.5% to 24.5%. Overall, this would bring the combined federal and provincial top marginal rate to 57.5% - by far the highest anywhere in Canada. Eby estimates the new tax would raise about $1 billion per year which, even if true, would be less than the $1.5 billion accounting error the NDP made in this year’s budget.
  
  
• Eby also announced a seniors’ health-care plan that includes free two-dose shingles vaccines for adults 50 and older, 500 additional home-care workers, expanded virtual monitoring and new support for long-term care residents. The plan would also restart seven long-term care projects that were paused earlier this year, with the NDP saying 16 projects have already been completed, seven are under construction and 15 more are in planning. Eby also pledged to triple funding for the province’s US health-care recruitment campaign and bring 5,000 care-home workers back into the public health employer system.
  
  
• Meanwhile, the BC Conservatives announced a health-care plan focused on keeping emergency rooms and maternity wards open, recruiting and retaining doctors and nurses, and reducing wait times. The Conservatives say they would maintain current health-care funding, establish a $50 million emergency fund, train more doctors in BC, bring back Canadians who studied medicine abroad and speed up international credential recognition. They also pledged to launch an expert commission within their first 100 days to examine ways to improve the health-care system.
  
  
• OneBC announced that Brent Chapman will not run in Surrey South following discussions between Chapman and the party. The party said Chapman and his wife, former BC Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, had faced “a torrent of threats and abuse”. OneBC said Chapman is stepping back to prioritize his family and security and expressed support for his decision.
  
  
• There are several ways to vote in the provincial election. Advance voting runs October 16th - 21st from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Voters can also vote on election day, at a district electoral office, or by mail. Vote-by-mail packages should be requested as soon as possible. You can find all of the information and locations on the Elections BC website.

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