Election 2026: Campaign Roundup - Day 23

Welcome to Day 23 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.

As always, our work is entirely funded by donations from British Columbians just like you, so if you appreciate the updates, please consider making a one-off donation or signing up as a supporter for just $10 a month - that's just 36 cents per email!

Campaign Roundup - Day 23:

• BC’s only televised leaders’ debate ahead of the October 24th provincial election is scheduled for tonight, from 6:15 pm to 8:00 pm. NDP Leader David Eby, Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson and Green Leader Emily Lowan will participate, with Angus Reid Institute President Shachi Kurl moderating. The debate will be broadcast live on CBC Television and CBC Radio One, as well as streamed online through CBC British Columbia and its YouTube channel.
  
  
• OneBC has outlined a plan to restrict access to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in British Columbia. The party says it would require the Health Minister to personally sign every MAiD application, require a doctor’s approval before an application can be submitted to the Minister, give guardians and family members the right to be informed and share their perspectives, and prohibit mental health conditions from being used as grounds for MAiD.
  
  
• The BC Conservatives have pledged to introduce the Respect Local Democracy Act to prevent provincial and municipal election campaigns from overlapping. The proposed legislation would prohibit provincial elections from being held within 60 days of municipal elections. Leader Lorne Doerkson says the change would prevent the two election calendars from coinciding again, including in 2030, when both elections are currently scheduled for October 19th.
  
  
• The BC Conservatives also announced an Anti-Extortion Action Plan targeting gangs and repeat offenders. The plan includes specialized investigators for extortion cases, clearer reporting and protection pathways for threatened businesses and families, and measures to prevent youth recruitment into organized crime. Leader Lorne Doerkson also pledged a dedicated court stream for repeat offenders, stronger bail and warrant enforcement, and expanded electronic monitoring for people released into the community.
  
  
• The BC NDP announced their plan to crack down on gangs, extortion, and repeat offenders, including hiring 50 additional Crown prosecutors and establishing a dedicated unit focused on extortion, racketeering, and gang violence. The party would double the capacity of its repeat-offending programs, expand civil forfeiture to target gang assets, and pursue provincial penalties for people caught with illegal guns and involved in gang activity where permitted by law. The plan also includes a BC Retail Theft Task Force and efforts to speed up police recruitment and training.

Support Our Work:

The British Columbia Institute doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please forward this email to your friends, and help make sure every British Columbian knows what's going on in our province.