B.C. Conservatives say platform will raise $2.6 billion and cut deficit to $10.8 billion by 2030

The B.C. Conservatives say their platform would generate $2.6 billion in new revenue over three years and shrink the deficit to $10.8 billion by 2030. Released days before the Oct. 24 election, the platform amounts to restraint, not austerity, the party says.

The 71-page document estimates 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 would collect an additional $2.62 billion over three years compared with the NDP’s forecast.

The Conservatives say they would freeze outside hiring, cut consultants and review spending across numerous government ministries. The platform says a core review would identify about $1.8 billion in savings over four years. A hiring freeze and staff attrition outside front-line positions would save about $2 billion over the same period.

The New Democrats say they have costed interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson’s campaign promises. They say income tax cuts and removing the provincial sales tax (PST) from Canadian alcohol and other items would reduce revenue by more than $4.3 billion a year and increase the deficit by 33 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2026.