John Horgan's BC NDP will fix British Columbia’s shortage of decent, affordable housing. We will work with all levels of government, First Nations and the not-for-profit and private sectors to secure land and build needed housing; make renting affordable, fair and secure; and close loopholes that help real estate speculators drive up prices.

Building homes:

Building 114,000 affordable rental, non-profit and co-op housing units through partnerships over 10 years, building on public land where available. As much as possible, we will build with innovative BC-manufactured wood products, creating new markets for BC wood products and new jobs in BC’s forest industry-based communities.
Protecting renters:

Providing a new renter’s rebate of $400 dollars per rental household per year.
Closing the BC Liberals’ “fixed term lease” loophole and ensure controls on rent increases are enforced.
Passing legislation requiring fair treatment during renovations and demolitions of rental properties.
Taxing speculators:

Closing loopholes that let speculators dodge taxes and hide their identities, and charging a yearly 2% absentee speculators’ tax to crack down on empty homes.
Directing revenue from the absentee speculators’ tax into a Housing Affordability Fund.
Establishing a multi-agency task force to fight tax fraud and money laundering in the BC real estate marketplace.

Our responsible fiscal plan is built on the core principle that government fiscal management should be prudent, transparent, and sustainable. We believe that government should manage its budget responsibly, just like every family does, and work to reach a balance. We will balance the budget in 2017/18.
Our fiscal framework also balances in 2018/19 and in 2019/20. We will tax speculation in our housing market. People who buy property in BC but don’t live or work here and leave their property empty will be charged a two per cent tax on speculation. We will eliminate Clark’s bogus $500 million LNG Fantasy Fund. Christy Clark has not collected a single penny from LNG. We will redirect BC Liberal waste and partisan government spending to programs that matter, like education and healthcare.

While the BC Liberals were making sure the richest British Columbians were benefiting from billion dollar tax breaks, they were also busy making you pay for it. This was especially true with BC Hydro and ICBC.
The BC Liberals charged you more for Hydro and ICBC, then took “dividends” from these Crowns to pay for their tax cuts for the richest British Columbians. John Horgan and the BC NDP will make BC’s Crown Corporations and BC Ferries work for you.

We’ll restore the tax on BC’s highest income earners and increase the Corporate Income Tax rate by one point, putting BC’s rate on par with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This will create $625 million over the course of a three year term.
By ending Christy Clark's tax cut for the top 2%, we will also be able to produce another $625 million of revenue over the next three years. We’ll also collect taxes from the property speculators who are profiting off their interference in Vancouver’s housing market. The "Empty Housing Speculation Tax" will create $500 million over the course of a three year term.

At the same time we will redirect BC Liberal waste and partisan government spending to programs that matter, like healthcare and education. By doing so, we’ll generate new revenue as we build new schools, roads, hospitals, housing and transit and grow our economy. This plan will stimulate $680 million in revenue over the course of three years.

Plus we’ll eliminate Christy Clark’s LNG Fantasy Fund that you paid for with fee hikes and use the money to help eliminate tolls.

More than 80 per cent of small business owners are finding it more expensive to run their businesses and over 70 per cent say that the high cost of living is making it hard to find workers. We’ll listen to the concerns of small business owners and work hard to help them succeed by: Reducing the small business tax rate from 2.5% to 2.0%. Creating a small business task force to strengthen the small business sector. Ensuring small businesses can get loans through credit unions.

Partisan government ads are a waste of your tax dollars. Working with the Auditor General, we’ll set strong standards for advertising spending. We’ll also protect whistleblowers, strengthen conflict-of-interest legislation and improve access to information rules. At the same time, we’ll take action to protect your rights and your free speech. We’ll put an end to frivolous anti-free speech lawsuits with anti-SLAPP legislation and we’ll bring back the Human Rights Commission to stop discrimination. We’ll also form a youth council to make sure young voices are heard by government. A BC NDP government will work for all British Columbians and ensure government is inclusive to minority communities, persons with disabilities, racial groups, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.

Under the BC Liberals, British Columbia had the slowest wage growth in the country while the cost of childcare has gone up 35% since 2007.

Together with the federal government, municipalities, businesses, First Nations and others, the BC NDP will create a $10 a day childcare plan. It will initially focus on children under the age of two before gradually expanding to cover other pre-kindergarten children.

Over time, the plan will pay for itself by empowering parents with the choice to continue their careers and boost our economy.

This plan will be:

Affordable: We will offer full-day care for $10 and part-time care for $7 a day, with no fee for families with annual incomes below $40,000 a year.
Accessible: We will build a childcare system that provides safe care for every child whose family wants or needs it. All children will be welcome and licensed family homes and centres will continue to offer a range of programs that reflect the diversity of BC communities. Families can select the type of childcare that works for them.
Quality: The $10 a day plan invests in the Early Childhood Educator workforce – helping ensure that they are well-educated, well-respected and fairly compensated.

We believe every child has the right to care, safety, permanency and connection with their culture. The BC NDP is committed to improving our system of care by:

Providing an additional $10 million for Agreements with Young Adults, so all youth aging out of government care who need support can receive it.
Ensuring our K-12 system has the resources to help youth in care graduate with their peers.
Working with universities and colleges to expand the tuition fee waiver program and provide enhanced supports for former youth in care who pursue post-secondary education.
Empowering the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth to review the recommendations of the Independent Representative for Children and Youth and address them.
Connecting and staying with their families and communities is important for all children — especially First Nations children. John Horgan and the BC NDP will meet their specific needs by:

Implementing the recommendations from Grand Chief Ed John’s report and provide better supports to keep Aboriginal children at home and out of care.
Ensuring that basic care standards are met for children in care and that there is a plan to connect them with their culture and community.
Supporting delegated Aboriginal agencies so they can offer services at the same level offered to non-Aboriginal children.

The BCNDP will fix our education system, investing in student success from kindergarten to college and university. We'll Properly fund classrooms and school equipment, so parents don’t have to fundraise for classroom essentials. Replace portables with real classrooms and make our schools earthquake safe. Expand BC’s apprenticeship and trades training programs. Eliminate interest on student loans and provide students a $1,000 completion grant. And where possible, we will build new schools with made-in-BC manufactured wood products, that will create a healthy learning environment for our kids, while also spurring growth and creating jobs in our forestry communities.

Manufacturing provides 180,000 BC jobs, is our largest source of exports and the fourth largest contributor to our GDP. BC companies are proving every day they are and can be successful in manufacturing – we’ll make sure they have the support they need. John Horgan's BC NDP will make this happen by:

Partnering with manufacturers to develop a multi-year growth strategy so the sector can meet its staffing needs.
Working with colleges, technical institutes and other post-secondary institutions to connect students with manufacturers for training.

Investing in BC kids and classrooms John Horgan and the BC NDP know the best way to build a strong economy for today and tomorrow is to invest in the success of our kids. This includes providing stability in the classroom, ensuring all kids have the time and attention they need to do their absolute best and putting an end to parents fundraising for the essentials, so they can focus on their kid’s success instead. Our commitments include: Contributing $30 million per year to our school system to ensure kids have the school supplies they need to succeed. Creating an ongoing capital fund for school playgrounds. Working with school districts to successfully implement BC’s new school curriculum and providing new technology, lab equipment, learning material and professional development support for teachers. Acknowledging that a per-pupil funding model doesn’t work for our diverse education system in BC and undertaking a comprehensive review. Replacing Surrey portables with real classrooms, building new schools in BC’s fastest growing region. Working with local governments, First Nations and communities in every region of British Columbia to build new schools and upgrade existing ones. Accelerating the seismic upgrade program for BC, making schools safer for our kids should an earthquake happen during school hours. Upgrading schools with energy efficient lighting to reduce power consumption costs. Building new schools — wherever possible — with made-in-BC manufactured wood products to spur growth and create jobs in our forestry communities. Improving First Nations student graduation rates by developing curriculums that accurately and fairly reflect the rich history and culture. Providing support for, and working towards, full course offerings in Aboriginal languages. Implementing First Nations-focused K-12 education recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. Making mental health counselors available where schools identify a need so children can get the help they need when they need it. Partnering with innovative BC not-for-profits and technology companies to offer students the opportunity to learn to code in the classroom. Supporting the expansion of digital arts, technology and trades education, and making tools, machinery and equipment available to students.

John Horgan’s BC NDP knows that every sector of our economy is increasingly driven by the education and skill level of British Columbians. Being a leader in the world economy requires being a world leader in education at every level. Here’s how we’ll do it:

Capping tuition fee increases at colleges and universities.
Ensuring low and middle income students have access to the assistance they need to get the education they want.
Making student loans interest free – current and future.
Providing a $1,000 Opportunity Award for higher education graduates to help pay down debt.
Supporting the UPass program.
Making Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) free again.
Updating regulations to allow colleges and universities to build affordable on and near-campus rental housing, and ensure student renters receive the renter’s tax rebate of $400 per year.
Creating a competitive, merit-based graduate scholarship program designed to attract and retain the best graduate students, based on hard work and talent.
Investing $50M over two years for a new graduate scholarship fund.
Investing $100 million to expand technology-related post-secondary programs and investing in information and communications, digital media and entertainment, life sciences and health, clean-tech, IT and engineering and more.
Partnering with universities throughout BC to build technology and innovation centres in key areas of BC’s economy.
We’ll expand skills training and apprenticeships to train the workforce of tomorrow and ensure British Columbians can work on major BC construction projects, including:

Mandating effective apprenticeship ratios on government funded projects.
Providing incentives for public sector employers to hire and train apprentices, and to increase the number of women in apprenticeships.
Partnering with First Nations to increase the number of skilled First Nations and mandate local hiring on government projects.

We understand that a sustainable, clean growth economy is essential to creating good jobs and growing the economy, while also reducing carbon pollution and protecting the environment. That is why John Horgan and the BC NDP will implement a comprehensive climate action plan that provides a pathway for BC to prosper economically while significantly reducing our carbon pollution and protecting BC families’ budgets. Spark innovation and growth in BC’s tech sector right across the province, by improving investment tax credits, hiring local software developers, and re-establishing the Innovative Clean Energy program cut by the BC Liberals.

Our province is one of the few places on earth where grizzly bears still thrive. And the vast majority of British Columbians believe it’s wrong to shoot these threatened creatures for sport.

It’s not just wrong, it’s bad for the economy. Grizzly bear viewing brings in more jobs, and more economic benefit, than trophy hunting.

John Horgan’s BC NDP government will do what’s right and ban the grizzly bear trophy hunt. We’ll also make permits for other kinds of hunting more fair for BC residents.

British Columbians are proud to live in a beautiful province with clean air, land and water. We are blessed with incredible ecological diversity. It’s part of who we are and the source of economic prosperity for communities across the province. Protecting the environment and creating jobs go hand in hand. Wildlife viewing, recreational fishing and hunting and other eco-tourism activities add 40,000 jobs to our economy every year. We’ll protect species at risk by: Bringing in an endangered species law. Working with the federal government, South Okanagan communities and local First Nations to create a plan to protect a large number of endangered species. We’ll increase investment in parks and camping by: Restoring funding for BC parks. Hiring additional park rangers and conservation officers. Building new campsites to catch up with current demand. Putting BC residents first in line for campsite bookings. We’ll make environmental decisions you can trust, including: Updating our environmental assessment legislation and processes. Respecting the rights of First Nations. We’ll protect clean, safe drinking water and ensure healthy communities by: Recognizing the right to clean, safe drinking water — and making a commitment to protect it. Working with the federal government to improve drinking water quality. Keeping cancer-causing chemicals out of our water supply.

British Columbia’s mining sector is an important job creator across our province. John Horgan’s BC NDP will work with communities and the mining industry to create and sustain these vital jobs by:

Getting to good decisions faster by assessing mining applications with an improved, properly resourced approvals process.
Increasing exploration and development with continued support for the mining flow-through share tax credit and the mineral exploration tax credit.
Establishing a BC Mining Jobs Task Force to make jobs secure and mines viable as commodity prices fluctuate.
Introducing an independent oversight unit to make the industry safer.

Christy Clark made her entire 2013 election campaign about LNG. Four years later, Christy Clark and the BC Liberals haven’t delivered a single major LNG project.

While LNG can still represent a significant opportunity for BC, it won’t happen under Christy Clark. To make sure BC benefits, we will require LNG projects meet four conditions:

Projects must offer jobs and training for British Columbians, especially jobs for local people.
The people of BC must get a fair return for our resources.
Projects must secure full partnerships with local First Nations.
Projects must complete a made-in-BC environmental assessment and respect our commitments to combating climate change.

Christy Clark and the BC Liberals choose to pit jobs against the environment. It shouldn’t be that way. We will take action to create tens of thousands of new, sustainable, permanent jobs while reducing BC’s climate change emissions and growing the low-carbon economy. Setting carbon reduction targets and meeting them We will renew the Climate Leadership panel and work towards implementing their recommendations. Together, we’ll put BC on a path to meeting our legislated 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction target. Creating good, sustainable jobs that lower our carbon emissions From investing in reforestation, to building new rapid transit solutions, to a comprehensive clean energy program, the BC NDP will invest in the long-term success of our economy, while doing our part to fight climate change. Making new carbon taxes predictable, fair and effective We’ll work to provide predictability for BC businesses and protect BC families from facing another hit on their pocketbook – while reducing our emissions.

Renewing our forest industry.
Forestry is the anchor industry in many of our communities. The BC Liberals have cost BC 30,000 direct forestry jobs and countless more indirect jobs. They have exported raw logs at an unprecedented pace and undermined the future of the industry by failing to keep up with reforestation.

We’ll work hard to bring sustainable jobs back and fight for fair trade deals for our softwood lumber.

We’ll expand markets for BC wood products, including:

Ensuring sure innovative BC wood products are used in infrastructure projects, like schools, hospitals and rental housing construction. Offering incentives to BC builders that use engineered wood products and to BC companies starting innovative wood manufacturing operations. Working with industry, local governments and First Nations to create new manufacturing jobs. Partnering with colleges and universities to train designers, engineers and tradespeople. We’ll create BC jobs with BC logs by:

Working with BC’s forest industry to find fair and lasting solutions that keep more logs in BC for processing. Investing in the future by expanding investments in reforestation across BC. Standing up for BC wood products in softwood lumber negotiations with the United States.

The BC New Democrat Clean Growth Climate Action plan is guided by a set of five core principles that are necessary and required for successful climate action. Within the first 100 days of a BC NDP government, we would renew the Climate Leadership Team to discuss how we will implement their thoughtful recommendations under the framework of the following five core principles:
Principle #1 – Take measures to reduce carbon pollution, rather than let it continue to go up.
Principle #2 – Bring in the federally mandated carbon price gradually and predictably.
Principle #3 – Make it more affordable for families.
Principle #4 – Invest in creating jobs, growing the economy and climate solutions.
Principle #5 – Take a sector by sector approach to regulating carbon pollution reduction.
We can build a better future for our kids and grandkids here in BC. John Horgan’s approach to climate action will create good jobs and economic growth, reduce carbon pollution, and make life more affordable for families.

It is disgraceful that Christy Clark and the BC Liberals prevented the BC Utilities Commission from doing its job. They pushed ahead with this multi-billion dollar megaproject without considering the impact on BC Hydro customers, the people in the region, and increasing doubt as to whether the electricity is needed. If elected, we will refer the Site C project to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) for review. We believe this is necessary due diligence that protects the public interest.

For several years, the New Democrats have argued that the BCUC must review the case for Site C, a position also taken by the likes of Dr. Harry Swain who chaired the Joint Review Panel on Site C. We have pointed to stagnate demand, the availability of more viable cost effective alternatives, the negative impact of selling Site C power at a loss for ratepayers, as among the reasons the BCUC needs to scrutinize the project, as it has done in the past to the benefit of British Columbians. In September 1980, BC Hydro applied to the government to build the Site C Dam. The Social Credit government led by then-premier Bill Bennett referred the project to the BCUC for review. The case made back by then for the project, like the BC Liberals’ current justification for Site C, relied on exaggerated electricity demand forecasts. The referral of the project to the BCUC saved the day. By rejecting BC Hydro's exaggerated load forecast and the Site C project along with it, the independent utilities commission protected ratepayers, the foundations of BC Hydro and the government’s finances.

Up to 60 per cent of people who struggle with addiction also experience other mental health challenges. The current system often treats addiction separately from mental health, with large gaps in services. A BC NDP government would bring these services together to better help those in need.
An evidence-based system of care for people living with addiction issues includes equal access for concurrent disorders.
› We will provide access to a wide range of evidence-based and regulated treatment, including licensing our current recovery house system, enhancing supports post-detox, and improving access to harm reduction options that save lives.
› While the focus will be on community-based treatment, there is a segment of the population that will only improve with more intensive, residential-based treatment. We will reopen facilities on the Riverview lands to provide residential care where needed.

We will establish a province-wide strategy to ensure the widest possible availability of life-saving naloxone kits with people trained to use them.
› We will provide more support to police efforts to disrupt the supply chain through measures to break up the major drug rings and send the perpetrators to trial.
› We will push for increased penalties for drug dealers who knowingly distribute death-dealing drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil.
› We will establish a special initiative with First Nations leaders and their communities to provide additional assistance where the impact of the crisis is greatest.
› And we will increase support for first responders, including counselling for PTSD and work-related stress.

A year after the BC Liberal health minister declared the rising number of overdoses in our province an emergency, there is little evidence Christy Clark and the BC Liberal government have any intention of treating it like one.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will take bold action to tackle the opioid crisis and get families and people with addictions the fast support they need. This will include:

Establishing a province-wide strategy to ensure the widest possible availability of life-saving naloxone kits with people trained to use them.
Enabling police efforts to disrupt the supply chain, break up major drug rings and send the perpetrators to trial.
Advocating for increased penalties for drug dealers who knowingly distribute death-dealing drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil.
Creating a special initiative with First Nations leaders and their communities to provide additional assistance where the impact of the crisis is greatest.
Increasing support for first responders, including counselling for PTSD and work-related stress.

Mental health is as important as physical health. Whether someone is 8 or 98, they need to know they only have to ask for help once to get help fast. After years of BC Liberal neglect, John Horgan and the BC NDP will transform our mental health system by improving access, investing in early prevention and providing opportunities for intervention before problems get worse. To make mental health treatment and addictions support a priority, we will create a Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. This new ministry will work with the Ministry of Children and Families, the Ministry of Health, local governments, First Nations and the education and justice systems so patients get treatment early and effectively. For people in crisis needing immediate help, a BC NDP government will take an “Ask Once, Get Help Fast” approach to mental health and addictions. We will ensure children and adolescents can access specially trained adolescent mental health professionals within the school system, where early identification and support can lead to healthier lives and prevent a lifetime of illness. Since nearly 60% of people struggling with addiction also experience other mental health challenges, a BC NDP government will bring those services together to help those most in need. We’ll provide access to a wide range of evidence-based and regulated treatment, including licensing our current recovery house system, enhancing supports post-detox, and improving access to harm reduction options that save lives. For people whose health will only improve with intensive, residential-based treatment, we will reopen facilities on the Riverview lands to provide residential care.

Keeping Aboriginal children connected to their communities. Aboriginal children deserve the same chance to thrive and stay connected to their communities as every child in BC. Creating jobs and opportunities. We’ll partner with First Nations people to build good jobs and a sustainable economy.

The BC NDP will work collaboratively and respectfully with First Nations to deliver a better future for us all. Acting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, The thousands of residential school survivors deserve action, not just talk. Adopting the principles of UNDRIP. We will adopt the principles of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which has been accepted by 148 nations including the government of Canada.

Supporting Indigenous communities, culture and history. It’s time to honour, respect and promote the cultures of BC’s Indigenous communities. Supporting Indigenous communities, culture and history Indigenous children and their peers deserve to learn our history accurately. In consultation with First Nations, a BC NDP government will co-develop a curriculum for Indigenous languages and for Indigenous history in Canada and British Columbia.

Three years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada set down law on the legal rights of First Nations people in this province. The message was clear: Aboriginal Title and Rights are a matter of law and justice.

John Horgan's BC NDP will make reconciliation a cross-government priority.

British Columbians are proud to live in a beautiful province with clean air, land and water. We are blessed with incredible ecological diversity. It’s part of who we are and the source of economic prosperity for communities across the province. Protecting the environment and creating jobs go hand in hand. Wildlife viewing, recreational fishing and hunting and other eco-tourism activities add 40,000 jobs to our economy every year. We’ll protect species at risk by: Bringing in an endangered species law. Working with the federal government, South Okanagan communities and local First Nations to create a plan to protect a large number of endangered species. We’ll increase investment in parks and camping by: Restoring funding for BC parks. Hiring additional park rangers and conservation officers. Building new campsites to catch up with current demand. Putting BC residents first in line for campsite bookings. We’ll make environmental decisions you can trust, including: Updating our environmental assessment legislation and processes. Respecting the rights of First Nations. We’ll protect clean, safe drinking water and ensure healthy communities by: Recognizing the right to clean, safe drinking water — and making a commitment to protect it. Working with the federal government to improve drinking water quality. Keeping cancer-causing chemicals out of our water supply.

Christy Clark made her entire 2013 election campaign about LNG. Four years later, Christy Clark and the BC Liberals haven’t delivered a single major LNG project. While LNG can still represent a significant opportunity for BC, it won’t happen under Christy Clark. To make sure BC benefits, we will require LNG projects meet four conditions: Projects must offer jobs and training for British Columbians, especially jobs for local people. The people of BC must get a fair return for our resources. Projects must secure full partnerships with local First Nations. Projects must complete a made-in-BC environmental assessment and respect our commitments to combating climate change.

Christy Clark and the BC Liberals choose to pit jobs against the environment. It shouldn’t be that way.

We will take action to create tens of thousands of new, sustainable, permanent jobs while reducing BC’s climate change emissions and growing the low-carbon economy.

Setting carbon reduction targets and meeting them

We will renew the Climate Leadership panel and work towards implementing their recommendations. Together, we’ll put BC on a path to meeting our legislated 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Creating good, sustainable jobs that lower our carbon emissions

From investing in reforestation, to building new rapid transit solutions, to a comprehensive clean energy program, the BC NDP will invest in the long-term success of our economy, while doing our part to fight climate change.

Making new carbon taxes predictable, fair and effective

We’ll work to provide predictability for BC businesses and protect BC families from facing another hit on their pocketbook – while reducing our emissions.

We believe every child has the right to care, safety, permanency and connection with their culture. The BC NDP is committed to improving our system of care by:

Providing an additional $10 million for Agreements with Young Adults, so all youth aging out of government care who need support can receive it.
Ensuring our K-12 system has the resources to help youth in care graduate with their peers.
Working with universities and colleges to expand the tuition fee waiver program and provide enhanced supports for former youth in care who pursue post-secondary education.
Empowering the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth to review the recommendations of the Independent Representative for Children and Youth and address them.
Connecting and staying with their families and communities is important for all children — especially First Nations children. John Horgan and the BC NDP will meet their specific needs by:

Implementing the recommendations from Grand Chief Ed John’s report and provide better supports to keep Aboriginal children at home and out of care.
Ensuring that basic care standards are met for children in care and that there is a plan to connect them with their culture and community.
Supporting delegated Aboriginal agencies so they can offer services at the same level offered to non-Aboriginal children.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will ensure access to justice is fair, timely and affordable by:

Hiring new court sheriffs immediately to bring the number back to a historical norm of 525 so fewer accused criminals walk away free without trial.
Implementing the Surrey Accord and bringing together all levels of government to create a safer, healthier community and address crime, mental health, addiction and homelessness.
Providing $500,000 a year in stable, secure funding for Surrey’s Wraparound (WRAP) program to connect teens at risk of joining gangs with outreach workers, teachers and police.
Taking pressure off the courts by reducing the number of people forced to represent themselves because of a lack of resources.
Improving access to justice by hiring more staff for the Court Services Branch, increasing access to dispute resolutions services for families, expanding poverty law services and supporting First Nations legal services.
Working with First Nations to set targets and take action to reduce the number of Aboriginal people facing our justice system and to reduce incarceration rates.
Recognizing culture for its role in rehabilitation and recovery and providing culturally diverse and appropriate programming in prisons, particularly for Aboriginal people.
Providing $8 million per year in funding to support women experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes.

Investing in BC kids and classrooms
John Horgan and the BC NDP know the best way to build a strong economy for today and tomorrow is to invest in the success of our kids. This includes providing stability in the classroom, ensuring all kids have the time and attention they need to do their absolute best and putting an end to parents fundraising for the essentials, so they can focus on their kid’s success instead.

Our commitments include:

Contributing $30 million per year to our school system to ensure kids have the school supplies they need to succeed.
Creating an ongoing capital fund for school playgrounds.
Working with school districts to successfully implement BC’s new school curriculum and providing new technology, lab equipment, learning material and professional development support for teachers.
Acknowledging that a per-pupil funding model doesn’t work for our diverse education system in BC and undertaking a comprehensive review.
Replacing Surrey portables with real classrooms, building new schools in BC’s fastest growing region.
Working with local governments, First Nations and communities in every region of British Columbia to build new schools and upgrade existing ones.
Accelerating the seismic upgrade program for BC, making schools safer for our kids should an earthquake happen during school hours.
Upgrading schools with energy efficient lighting to reduce power consumption costs.
Building new schools — wherever possible — with made-in-BC manufactured wood products to spur growth and create jobs in our forestry communities.
Improving First Nations student graduation rates by developing curriculums that accurately and fairly reflect the rich history and culture.
Providing support for, and working towards, full course offerings in Aboriginal languages.
Implementing First Nations-focused K-12 education recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.
Making mental health counselors available where schools identify a need so children can get the help they need when they need it.
Partnering with innovative BC not-for-profits and technology companies to offer students the opportunity to learn to code in the classroom.
Supporting the expansion of digital arts, technology and trades education, and making tools, machinery and equipment available to students.

BC’s Aboriginal children are overrepresented in government care. A BC NDP government will implement the recommendations from Grand Chief Ed John’s report and provide better support to keep Aboriginal children at home.

We will ensure Delegated Aboriginal Agencies offer core services at the same level offered to non-Aboriginal children. When Aboriginal children do enter care, we will ensure that that there is a plan to connect them with their culture and communities.

We’ll work together with First Nations across British Columbia by:

Building on First Nations’ demonstrated leadership in solar energy to ensure we meet our renewable energy targets.
Seeking partnerships with First Nations as part of our commitment to build 114,000 quality housing units.
Ensuring First Nations students have priority access to training and apprenticeships.
Working with organizations that are increasing First Nations participation in mining, forestry, technology, manufacturing, fishing and energy.
Negotiating with First Nations leadership and communities about expanding opportunities for their share in BC’s gaming industry.

After six years of hearings and the testimony of over 6,000 survivors affected by residential schools, it’s time for action. We will accept and act on the 94 Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report. We will work with First Nations and the government of Canada to do this.

Implementing the principles of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be a priority for all of our ministers. We’ll review policies, programs and legislation to determine how to bring the principles of the Declaration to action in British Columbia.

We will also work with Indigenous people to improve relations and make sure decisions affecting land, air and water are legal and respectful. We’ll preserve our healthy environment for present and future generations, while ensuring all British Columbians benefit from the sustainable development of natural resources.

Indigenous children and their peers deserve to learn our history – accurately. In consultation with First Nations, a BC NDP government will co-develop a curriculum for Indigenous languages and for Indigenous history in Canada and British Columbia.

We will also provide support to Indigenous communities seeking to revitalize connections to their languages and provide reliable, dedicated funding for Friendship Centres.

We’ll deliver quality healthcare where you need it, when you need it. Increase access to doctors, nurses and health practitioners in your community. Relieve the pressure on emergency rooms and reduce wait times. Provide faster access to mental health services, when and where people need it. Increase the time home care workers can spend with seniors, so seniors can stay in their own homes longer.

A year after the BC Liberal health minister declared the rising number of overdoses in our province an emergency, there is little evidence Christy Clark and the BC Liberal government have any intention of treating it like one.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will take bold action to tackle the opioid crisis and get families and people with addictions the fast support they need. This will include:

Establishing a province-wide strategy to ensure the widest possible availability of life-saving naloxone kits with people trained to use them.
Enabling police efforts to disrupt the supply chain, break up major drug rings and send the perpetrators to trial.
Advocating for increased penalties for drug dealers who knowingly distribute death-dealing drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil.
Creating a special initiative with First Nations leaders and their communities to provide additional assistance where the impact of the crisis is greatest.
Increasing support for first responders, including counselling for PTSD and work-related stress.

Under Christy Clark, too many British Columbians are not getting the healthcare they need — despite paying more and more in MSP premiums every year.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will take action to make our healthcare system work for you. We will make improving your access to family doctors and other medical professionals the top priority for our Ministry of Health. We’ll develop a new urgent care model that gets emergency room visitors the healthcare support they need faster, and we’ll help rural British Columbians with an improved medical travel allowance.

At the same time, we will:

Reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
Invest in new hospitals and care facilities in communities across BC, plus home care and quality long-term care for BC seniors.
Establish Urgent Family Care Centres across BC (open evenings and weekends), to help you get the one-on-one healthcare you need with the support of a full medical team.
Invest in more paramedics, so that no one is left waiting for an ambulance in their time of critical need.
Implement province-wide coordination to manage and actively monitor waitlists and speed up service delivery.
Stop the decline in rural health services.
Fund UBC’s Therapeutics Initiative properly to keep drug costs down and patients safe.
Work with the federal government to create a national pharmacare program and bulk purchasing of medication to keep costs low.
Remove the age restriction on the insulin pump program for British Columbians living with diabetes.

Mental health is as important as physical health. Whether someone is 8 or 98, they need to know they only have to ask for help once to get help fast.

After years of BC Liberal neglect, John Horgan and the BC NDP will transform our mental health system by improving access, investing in early prevention and providing opportunities for intervention before problems get worse.

To make mental health treatment and addictions support a priority, we will create a Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. This new ministry will work with the Ministry of Children and Families, the Ministry of Health, local governments, First Nations and the education and justice systems so patients get treatment early and effectively.

For people in crisis needing immediate help, a BC NDP government will take an “Ask Once, Get Help Fast” approach to mental health and addictions. We will ensure children and adolescents can access specially trained adolescent mental health professionals within the school system, where early identification and support can lead to healthier lives and prevent a lifetime of illness.

Since nearly 60% of people struggling with addiction also experience other mental health challenges, a BC NDP government will bring those services together to help those most in need. We’ll provide access to a wide range of evidence-based and regulated treatment, including licensing our current recovery house system, enhancing supports post-detox, and improving access to harm reduction options that save lives.

For people whose health will only improve with intensive, residential-based treatment, we will reopen facilities on the Riverview lands to provide residential care.

Addressing the urgent needs of people living in poverty is essential — and a moral responsibility. John Horgan’s BC NDP will help by immediately:

Reducing the depth of poverty in BC by immediately raising all income assistance and disability rates by $100 per month.
Supporting assistance recipients as they re-enter the workforce by allowing them to keep an additional $200 per month in earnings exemptions.
Ending Christy Clark’s disability bus pass clawback, fully restoring the BC Bus Pass program for people with disabilities.
Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, one in five children lives in poverty and food bank use has broken records two years in a row. More than 3,000 children have been added to food bank rolls since Christy Clark became premier. John Horgan and the BC NDP will create a provincial poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines to get kids and families out of poverty and on the path to success.

On homelessness, John Horgan and the BC NDP will partner with the federal government, local municipalities, agencies and community groups to create an immediate homelessness action plan that addresses and includes mental health support, social assistance, justice, safety, health and more.

We will also conduct a provide-wide homeless count, committing to reduce the homeless population through permanent housing and services.

The BC NDP will work collaboratively and respectfully with First Nations to deliver a better future for us all. Acting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, The thousands of residential school survivors deserve action, not just talk. Adopting the principles of UNDRIP. We will adopt the principles of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which has been accepted by 148 nations including the government of Canada.

Supporting Indigenous communities, culture and history. It’s time to honour, respect and promote the cultures of BC’s Indigenous communities. Supporting Indigenous communities, culture and history Indigenous children and their peers deserve to learn our history accurately. In consultation with First Nations, a BC NDP government will co-develop a curriculum for Indigenous languages and for Indigenous history in Canada and British Columbia.

Three years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada set down law on the legal rights of First Nations people in this province. The message was clear: Aboriginal Title and Rights are a matter of law and justice.

John Horgan's BC NDP will make reconciliation a cross-government priority.

Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, many people are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Technology is changing the way people work, but it shouldn’t change the way that workers are protected. A BC NDP government will ensure employment laws and standards match the realities of working today.

Whether people are working remotely or in an office they need to be treated fairly and protected from workplace injuries. Services to support workers need to be universal, accessible and affordable and managed in a way to include workers who don’t have traditional workplace relationships. The BC NDP will make this happen by:

Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour over our first term, then tie it to inflation so that workers and businesses have certainty for the future.
Ensuring employment standards are applied evenly, and that they are enforced in a way that recognizes the changing nature of the workplace.
Enforcing workplace safety rules and making workplace safety a priority.

Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, many people are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Technology is changing the way people work, but it shouldn’t change the way that workers are protected. A BC NDP government will ensure employment laws and standards match the realities of working today.

Whether people are working remotely or in an office they need to be treated fairly and protected from workplace injuries. Services to support workers need to be universal, accessible and affordable and managed in a way to include workers who don’t have traditional workplace relationships. The BC NDP will make this happen by:

Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour over our first term, then tie it to inflation so that workers and businesses have certainty for the future.
Ensuring employment standards are applied evenly, and that they are enforced in a way that recognizes the changing nature of the workplace.
Enforcing workplace safety rules and making workplace safety a priority.

Newcomers to British Columbia, whether they’re immigrants, refugees or temporary foreign workers, are a part of our province and should receive the same consideration and opportunities as everyone else.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will protect temporary foreign workers by bringing in a Temporary Foreign Worker registry to give government the information it needs to protect workers. While the majority of employers are responsible, the few who are not hurt workers, damage Canada’s reputation, and compete unfairly against other honest BC businesses. We’ll also end the collection of illegal recruitment fees by requiring recruiters and employers to register Temporary Foreign Workers.

We’ll break down barriers to success preventing immigrants from using their professional experience to find meaningful work. This includes the creation of a Centre for Newcomers to help coordinate and educate skilled newcomers in their fields and reversing the BC Liberal cuts to funding for Adult Basic Education and English language courses for immigrants.

At the same time, we’ll improve support for refugees to ensure they can build happy and successful new lives here while working with the federal government to increase BC’s quota under the Provincial Nominee Program and increase BC’s control over the terms of qualification.

Addressing the urgent needs of people living in poverty is essential — and a moral responsibility. John Horgan’s BC NDP will help by immediately: Reducing the depth of poverty in BC by immediately raising all income assistance and disability rates by $100 per month. Supporting assistance recipients as they re-enter the workforce by allowing them to keep an additional $200 per month in earnings exemptions. Ending Christy Clark’s disability bus pass clawback, fully restoring the BC Bus Pass program for people with disabilities. Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, one in five children lives in poverty and food bank use has broken records two years in a row. More than 3,000 children have been added to food bank rolls since Christy Clark became premier. John Horgan and the BC NDP will create a provincial poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines to get kids and families out of poverty and on the path to success. On homelessness, John Horgan and the BC NDP will partner with the federal government, local municipalities, agencies and community groups to create an immediate homelessness action plan that addresses and includes mental health support, social assistance, justice, safety, health and more. We will also conduct a provide-wide homeless count, committing to reduce the homeless population through permanent housing and services.

We believe every child has the right to care, safety, permanency and connection with their culture. The BC NDP is committed to improving our system of care by:

Providing an additional $10 million for Agreements with Young Adults, so all youth aging out of government care who need support can receive it.
Ensuring our K-12 system has the resources to help youth in care graduate with their peers.
Working with universities and colleges to expand the tuition fee waiver program and provide enhanced supports for former youth in care who pursue post-secondary education.
Empowering the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth to review the recommendations of the Independent Representative for Children and Youth and address them.
Connecting and staying with their families and communities is important for all children — especially First Nations children. John Horgan and the BC NDP will meet their specific needs by:

Implementing the recommendations from Grand Chief Ed John’s report and provide better supports to keep Aboriginal children at home and out of care.
Ensuring that basic care standards are met for children in care and that there is a plan to connect them with their culture and community.
Supporting delegated Aboriginal agencies so they can offer services at the same level offered to non-Aboriginal children.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will ensure access to justice is fair, timely and affordable by:

Hiring new court sheriffs immediately to bring the number back to a historical norm of 525 so fewer accused criminals walk away free without trial.
Implementing the Surrey Accord and bringing together all levels of government to create a safer, healthier community and address crime, mental health, addiction and homelessness.
Providing $500,000 a year in stable, secure funding for Surrey’s Wraparound (WRAP) program to connect teens at risk of joining gangs with outreach workers, teachers and police.
Taking pressure off the courts by reducing the number of people forced to represent themselves because of a lack of resources.
Improving access to justice by hiring more staff for the Court Services Branch, increasing access to dispute resolutions services for families, expanding poverty law services and supporting First Nations legal services.
Working with First Nations to set targets and take action to reduce the number of Aboriginal people facing our justice system and to reduce incarceration rates.
Recognizing culture for its role in rehabilitation and recovery and providing culturally diverse and appropriate programming in prisons, particularly for Aboriginal people.
Providing $8 million per year in funding to support women experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes.

Our current first-past-the-post voting system isn’t working. Parties that don’t get 50 per cent of the vote get all the power and the voices of minority groups often go unheard. It’s time for a system where every vote counts.

John Horgan and the BC NDP would hold a referendum on changing our voting system to a proportional system. We’ll ensure BC’s regions are all represented fairly and we will campaign for the “yes” side.

Partisan government ads are a waste of your tax dollars. Working with the Auditor General, we’ll set strong standards for advertising spending.

We’ll also protect whistleblowers, strengthen conflict-of-interest legislation and improve access to information rules.

At the same time, we’ll take action to protect your rights and your free speech. We’ll put an end to frivolous anti-free speech lawsuits with anti-SLAPP legislation and we’ll bring back the Human Rights Commission to stop discrimination. We’ll also form a youth council to make sure young voices are heard by government.

A BC NDP government will work for all British Columbians and ensure government is inclusive to minority communities, persons with disabilities, racial groups, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.

Implementing the principles of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be a priority for all of our ministers. We’ll review policies, programs and legislation to determine how to bring the principles of the Declaration to action in British Columbia.

We will also work with Indigenous people to improve relations and make sure decisions affecting land, air and water are legal and respectful. We’ll preserve our healthy environment for present and future generations, while ensuring all British Columbians benefit from the sustainable development of natural resources.

For Christy Clark, the economy is about helping her rich friends and donors. And the reality for most British Columbians is that the econo- my isn’t working for them.
Under Christy Clark, unemployment is up in every region outside the lower mainland and the Island. People who are working are working harder and longer, and not getting ahead. More and more jobs are part time, and more and more people are working two jobs to make ends meet. Where industries are succeeding, it’s in spite of Christy Clark, not because of her. She bet everything on natural gas prices and left the rest of BC’s economy without support. Resource communities and families have paid the price. That’s got to change. So too does our relationship with First Nations. We will make reconciliation with First Nations a priority, creating certainty and opportunity for First Nations and for our economy as a whole.
We’ll work to create good jobs and build a sustainable economy in every sector of our economy and in every corner of BC.
We will:
› Create 96,000 construction jobs by building schools, hospitals, roads and rapid transit over the next five years.
› Build, directly and through partnerships, 114,000 rental, social and co-op homes over 10 years using BC wood products as building materials.
› Increase minimum wage to $15 and bring in $10 a day childcare.
› Revitalize BC’s forest industry and make BC a world leader in
engineered wood products.
› Spark innovation and growth in BC’s tech sector right across the province, by improving investment tax credits, hiring local software developers, and re-establishing the Innovative Clean Energy program cut by the BC Liberals.
› We’ll make BC a leader on climate action. We’ll reduce our carbon footprint with energy efficiency retrofits to public buildings and residential homes, and create good jobs that last in every community.
› Support BC small business with a half-point cut to the small business tax rate.
› We’ll also invest in traditional sectors of our economy and launch a major jobs initiative in clean energy and energy efficiency to reduce your heating bills.

As the cost of living in BC skyrocketed, Christy Clark let BC’s minimum wage fall behind. Today, a person working full time in a minimum wage job simply can’t make ends meet. John Horgan and the BC NDP believe that if you are working full-time hours, you shouldn’t have to take a second job just to put food on your table. Unfortunately, with the high cost of living, minimum wage workers are having to do just that, especially those with families to support. And while BC falls behind, other jurisdictions are showing the way. Alberta has recently committed to a $15/hour minimum wage, In Seattle, where the $15/hour minimum is the law, restaurants are thriving and the economy has strengthened. That’s because people earning minimum wage are spending it on essentials, putting money right back into their local economy.
John Horgan and the BC NDP will bring in a $15/hour minimum wage by 2021, with increases each year. Phasing in the increases will allow businesses to adjust, ensuring that jobs aren’t at risk and that employ- ment in minimum wage sectors actually increases, as has been the case in Seattle. Once we reach $15/hour, we will index the minimum wage to inflation to ensure that we don’t fall behind.

BC artists make our communities interesting, vibrant and beautiful – and they’re huge contributors to our economy. Film and television are major employers throughout our province. We’ll help both these industries thrive and grow by:

Getting BC’s writers working by expanding our film labour tax credit to include them.
Making our industry more competitive by making sure BC film and TV makers get their fair share of federal investments.
Doubling the province’s investment in the BC Arts Council over four years.
Providing space for BC artists to create by investing in an arts infrastructure fund.
Supporting BC musicians, publishers, authors, artists, digital media, indigenous storytellers and the film and TV industries by increasing investments in Creative BC.

Christy Clark made her entire 2013 election campaign about LNG. Four years later, Christy Clark and the BC Liberals haven’t delivered a single major LNG project.

While LNG can still represent a significant opportunity for BC, it won’t happen under Christy Clark. To make sure BC benefits, we will require LNG projects meet four conditions:

Projects must offer jobs and training for British Columbians, especially jobs for local people.
The people of BC must get a fair return for our resources.
Projects must secure full partnerships with local First Nations.
Projects must complete a made-in-BC environmental assessment and respect our commitments to combating climate change.

Whether it’s Aboriginal tourism, adventure tourism, wilderness tourism or bear viewing, our province has a lot to offer. BC tourism businesses bring people from around the world to our province. We’ll champion this vital industry throughout the world and create thousands of jobs by:

Including representatives of BC’s tourism sectors on all trade missions.
Ensuring tourism impacts are considered in all significant land use decisions.
Confirming that all short-term rental operators are contributing fairly to tourism marketing programs.
Banning the grizzly bear trophy hunt and help promoting wildlife viewing instead.
Creating more camping sites, and hiring more park rangers and conservation officers.

BC’s agriculture sector provides food and employs people from Fort Nelson to Saanich. But under the BC Liberals, our agricultural land is threatened and the industry is at risk. We have a long-term plan to keep farms and farmers in BC and open up new opportunities by developing, processing and exporting new food and beverages.

Grow BC, Feed BC, Buy BC

Grow BC will help young farmers access land and focus on exciting initiatives like ensuring our bee populations stay healthy and supporting fruit and nut growers.
Under Feed BC, government facilities will increase their use of BC-grown and processed foods.
By bringing back an enhanced Buy BC marketing program, we will help local producers market their products.
We’ll encourage leadership and innovation by:

Partnering with growers, processors, colleges and universities to develop a BC Food Innovation Centre to innovate in the processing, packaging and marketing of BC food products.
We’ll expand markets for vintners, brewers and craft distillers by:

Establishing a BC beer, wine and spirits advisory panel to grow and strengthen the industry.
Working with local producers to expand our markets and help market our products.

BC’s agriculture sector provides food and employs people from Fort Nelson to Saanich. But under the BC Liberals, our agricultural land is threatened and the industry is at risk. We have a long-term plan to keep farms and farmers in BC and open up new opportunities by developing, processing and exporting new food and beverages.

Grow BC, Feed BC, Buy BC

Grow BC will help young farmers access land and focus on exciting initiatives like ensuring our bee populations stay healthy and supporting fruit and nut growers.
Under Feed BC, government facilities will increase their use of BC-grown and processed foods.
By bringing back an enhanced Buy BC marketing program, we will help local producers market their products.
We’ll encourage leadership and innovation by:

Partnering with growers, processors, colleges and universities to develop a BC Food Innovation Centre to innovate in the processing, packaging and marketing of BC food products.
We’ll expand markets for vintners, brewers and craft distillers by:

Establishing a BC beer, wine and spirits advisory panel to grow and strengthen the industry.
Working with local producers to expand our markets and help market our products.

Manufacturing provides 180,000 BC jobs, is our largest source of exports and the fourth largest contributor to our GDP. BC companies are proving every day they are and can be successful in manufacturing – we’ll make sure they have the support they need. John Horgan's BC NDP will make this happen by:

Partnering with manufacturers to develop a multi-year growth strategy so the sector can meet its staffing needs.
Working with colleges, technical institutes and other post-secondary institutions to connect students with manufacturers for training.

We’ll support growth in the tech sector with strategic investments in infrastructure and developing and attracting world-class talent. We’ll also work with BC’s excellent software firms to deliver major development projects for government.

We’ll develop and attract world-class talent by:

Investing $100 million to expand technology-related post-secondary programs and match investments with tech-related co-op programs.
Appointing a Chief Talent Officer.
Ensuring every child in BC is given the opportunity to learn how they can change the world by learning to code.
We’ll create better access to capital by:

Strengthening existing venture capital and tax credit programs.
Re-invigorating the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund to boost investments in groundbreaking new energy technologies.
Streamlining and simplifying incentive programs and credits.
We’ll build local markets for IT and software development by:

Bringing in a cap on the value and the length of government IT contracts.
Making government IT and software development procurement work better for companies that hire locally and have a local supply chain.
Partnering with local governments in northern and rural communities, we will ensure local digital infrastructure is accessible.

Forestry is the anchor industry in many of our communities. The BC Liberals have cost BC 30,000 direct forestry jobs and countless more indirect jobs. They have exported raw logs at an unprecedented pace and undermined the future of the industry by failing to keep up with reforestation.

We’ll work hard to bring sustainable jobs back and fight for fair trade deals for our softwood lumber.

We’ll expand markets for BC wood products, including:

Ensuring sure innovative BC wood products are used in infrastructure projects, like schools, hospitals and rental housing construction.
Offering incentives to BC builders that use engineered wood products and to BC companies starting innovative wood manufacturing operations.
Working with industry, local governments and First Nations to create new manufacturing jobs.
Partnering with colleges and universities to train designers, engineers and tradespeople.
We’ll create BC jobs with BC logs by:

Working with BC’s forest industry to find fair and lasting solutions that keep more logs in BC for processing.
Investing in the future by expanding investments in reforestation across BC.
Standing up for BC wood products in softwood lumber negotiations with the United States.

After 16 years of neglect from Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, we need to restore, replace and repair schools, hospitals, roads and transit. In doing so, we’ll create 96,000 real jobs and add $18 billion dollars in economic activity while helping us deliver the services people need.

Building strong communities

Quality schools, good hospitals, recreation centres and transit options are all necessities of communities large and small. We’ll invest in all corners of BC, making communities stronger, spurring economic growth and creating good jobs close to home.

Cutting commute times and reducing congestion

Building a better BC means getting you to and from work and school faster and safer. We’ll invest in improving roads and in major new transit projects to reduce congestion, get cars off the road and reduce our impact on the environment.

Creating technology infrastructure and innovation centres

We’ll partner with universities, colleges, technical institutions and businesses to build and fund specialized innovation centres in the interior and northern BC to make sure all regions of the province benefit from jobs and investment in the new economy.

Building partnerships to fund new infrastructure

Our plan to create 96,000 jobs includes funding partnerships with the federal government, First Nations, municipalities, pension funds, financial institutions and businesses.

Christy Clark and the BC Liberals choose to pit jobs against the environment. It shouldn’t be that way.

We will take action to create tens of thousands of new, sustainable, permanent jobs while reducing BC’s climate change emissions and growing the low-carbon economy.

Setting carbon reduction targets and meeting them

We will renew the Climate Leadership panel and work towards implementing their recommendations. Together, we’ll put BC on a path to meeting our legislated 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Creating good, sustainable jobs that lower our carbon emissions

From investing in reforestation, to building new rapid transit solutions, to a comprehensive clean energy program, the BC NDP will invest in the long-term success of our economy, while doing our part to fight climate change.

Making new carbon taxes predictable, fair and effective

We’ll work to provide predictability for BC businesses and protect BC families from facing another hit on their pocketbook – while reducing our emissions.

Newcomers to British Columbia, whether they’re immigrants, refugees or temporary foreign workers, are a part of our province and should receive the same consideration and opportunities as everyone else.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will protect temporary foreign workers by bringing in a Temporary Foreign Worker registry to give government the information it needs to protect workers. While the majority of employers are responsible, the few who are not hurt workers, damage Canada’s reputation, and compete unfairly against other honest BC businesses. We’ll also end the collection of illegal recruitment fees by requiring recruiters and employers to register Temporary Foreign Workers.

We’ll break down barriers to success preventing immigrants from using their professional experience to find meaningful work. This includes the creation of a Centre for Newcomers to help coordinate and educate skilled newcomers in their fields and reversing the BC Liberal cuts to funding for Adult Basic Education and English language courses for immigrants.

At the same time, we’ll improve support for refugees to ensure they can build happy and successful new lives here while working with the federal government to increase BC’s quota under the Provincial Nominee Program and increase BC’s control over the terms of qualification.

Addressing the urgent needs of people living in poverty is essential — and a moral responsibility. John Horgan’s BC NDP will help by immediately: Reducing the depth of poverty in BC by immediately raising all income assistance and disability rates by $100 per month. Supporting assistance recipients as they re-enter the workforce by allowing them to keep an additional $200 per month in earnings exemptions. Ending Christy Clark’s disability bus pass clawback, fully restoring the BC Bus Pass program for people with disabilities. Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, one in five children lives in poverty and food bank use has broken records two years in a row. More than 3,000 children have been added to food bank rolls since Christy Clark became premier. John Horgan and the BC NDP will create a provincial poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines to get kids and families out of poverty and on the path to success. On homelessness, John Horgan and the BC NDP will partner with the federal government, local municipalities, agencies and community groups to create an immediate homelessness action plan that addresses and includes mental health support, social assistance, justice, safety, health and more. We will also conduct a provide-wide homeless count, committing to reduce the homeless population through permanent housing and services.

Donations shouldn’t buy favours. The people of BC deserve to live in a fair province where all voices are equal and money can’t buy favours. Yet, in the Wild West of political cash, Christy Clark’s rich friends and insiders, including foreign corporations, give millions to fuel the BC Liberal campaign. Why do BC Liberal donors receive lucrative government contracts?

We need change. Join thousands of other British Columbians calling for an end to corporate and union donations in BC politics.

Partisan government ads are a waste of your tax dollars. Working with the Auditor General, we’ll set strong standards for advertising spending.

We’ll also protect whistleblowers, strengthen conflict-of-interest legislation and improve access to information rules.

At the same time, we’ll take action to protect your rights and your free speech. We’ll put an end to frivolous anti-free speech lawsuits with anti-SLAPP legislation and we’ll bring back the Human Rights Commission to stop discrimination. We’ll also form a youth council to make sure young voices are heard by government.

A BC NDP government will work for all British Columbians and ensure government is inclusive to minority communities, persons with disabilities, racial groups, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.

John Horgan’s BC NDP knows that every sector of our economy is increasingly driven by the education and skill level of British Columbians. Being a leader in the world economy requires being a world leader in education at every level. Here’s how we’ll do it:

Capping tuition fee increases at colleges and universities.
Ensuring low and middle income students have access to the assistance they need to get the education they want.
Making student loans interest free – current and future.
Providing a $1,000 Opportunity Award for higher education graduates to help pay down debt.
Supporting the UPass program.
Making Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) free again.
Updating regulations to allow colleges and universities to build affordable on and near-campus rental housing, and ensure student renters receive the renter’s tax rebate of $400 per year.
Creating a competitive, merit-based graduate scholarship program designed to attract and retain the best graduate students, based on hard work and talent.
Investing $50M over two years for a new graduate scholarship fund.
Investing $100 million to expand technology-related post-secondary programs and investing in information and communications, digital media and entertainment, life sciences and health, clean-tech, IT and engineering and more.
Partnering with universities throughout BC to build technology and innovation centres in key areas of BC’s economy.
We’ll expand skills training and apprenticeships to train the workforce of tomorrow and ensure British Columbians can work on major BC construction projects, including:

Mandating effective apprenticeship ratios on government funded projects.
Providing incentives for public sector employers to hire and train apprentices, and to increase the number of women in apprenticeships.
Partnering with First Nations to increase the number of skilled First Nations and mandate local hiring on government projects.

The BC Liberals haven’t been shy about their love of ridesharing services like UBER. But, even though they say they’re creating a “level-playing field,” they never included the taxi industry in their secret negotiations with UBER.

John Horgan’s BC NDP will work with both parties to create a truly fair approach to ridesharing in British Columbia that doesn’t unfairly benefit – or punish – one group over the other. This includes:

Working with stakeholders across BC to level up standards across the province and ensure British Columbians can count on low-cost predictable fares, accessible services, safe cars and drivers subject to appropriate criminal record checks.
Creating a level playing field for all providers and respecting the people currently in the people-moving industry without giving one group of drivers an unfair advantage over the other.
Developing a plan that protects passengers from price gouging, particularly after sporting events, concerts and on special occasions and holidays when demand is highest.

Improving BC’s transportation systems British Columbia is a growing province. It’s time for a transportation system that grows with us. We’ll build projects we need and create reliable long-term funding models. In Metro Vancouver, John Horgan’s BC NDP support the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Transportation Vision. We have committed to funding 40 per cent of the capital costs of every phase of the plan, in partnership with all levels of government. This plan will create thousands of jobs and fuel economic growth while growing the region and breaking traffic gridlock. Important projects include building the Broadway Skytrain, rapid transit in Surrey, replacing the Patullo Bridge, improving road networks and adding essential bus service. We will also eliminate tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges to ease congestion. Across British Columbia, John Horgan’s BC NDP will help people get moving by: Working with the Metro Vancouver Mayor's Council, Translink and BC Transit to find long and lasting solutions to improve service and ensure that seniors and people with disabilities get the rides they need. Making much-needed investments in capital projects and buses to support transit in the Capital Regional District and working with local governments to explore the possibility of creating a regional transportation authority. Leading and promoting efforts to fix the E&N railway tracks so that commuter rail can become an option to eliminate gridlock in the capital region. Restoring the seniors’ discount on BC Ferries, making it free for seniors to travel from Monday to Thursday, except on holidays; reducing fares by 15 per cent on secondary routes; and freezing fares on major routes while conducting a review of BC Ferries cost structures. Allowing BC shipyards to bid competitively on every new ferry built.

Restoring the seniors’ discount on BC Ferries, making it free for seniors to travel from Monday to Thursday, except on holidays; reducing fares by 15 per cent on secondary routes; and freezing fares on major routes while conducting a review of BC Ferries cost structures.

When nine in ten seniors’ care homes don’t meet minimum government standards, it’s clear Christy Clark isn’t working for BC’s elderly population.

John Horgan and the BC NDP will make seniors a priority. We will help them stay in their own homes longer, improve the consistency of care in care homes and create a legislative committee focused on improving the care and lives of seniors.

Giving support to seniors to stay at home as long as possible is the right thing to do. We will increase the length of home support visits and expand the scope of services provided – helping seniors stay in their homes longer, reducing stress on family friends and other unpaid caregivers.

Seniors who move into residential care can expect increased support and more accountability from providers and their staff, so they receive the high-quality, dignified relationship-based care they deserve. We will conduct a review to establish and maintain safe staffing levels that aren’t disrupted by contracting out or contract flipping.

We’ll develop an all-party Select Standing Committee on Seniors. This committee will be tasked with refreshing the Council on Aging and Seniors’ 2006 Report, making recommendations to the Legislature and monitoring and reporting on the implementation of those recommendations.

We believe every child has the right to care, safety, permanency and connection with their culture. The BC NDP is committed to improving our system of care by:

Providing an additional $10 million for Agreements with Young Adults, so all youth aging out of government care who need support can receive it.
Ensuring our K-12 system has the resources to help youth in care graduate with their peers.
Working with universities and colleges to expand the tuition fee waiver program and provide enhanced supports for former youth in care who pursue post-secondary education.
Empowering the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth to review the recommendations of the Independent Representative for Children and Youth and address them.
Connecting and staying with their families and communities is important for all children — especially First Nations children. John Horgan and the BC NDP will meet their specific needs by:

Implementing the recommendations from Grand Chief Ed John’s report and provide better supports to keep Aboriginal children at home and out of care.
Ensuring that basic care standards are met for children in care and that there is a plan to connect them with their culture and community.
Supporting delegated Aboriginal agencies so they can offer services at the same level offered to non-Aboriginal children.

Addressing the urgent needs of people living in poverty is essential — and a moral responsibility. John Horgan’s BC NDP will help by immediately:

Reducing the depth of poverty in BC by immediately raising all income assistance and disability rates by $100 per month.
Supporting assistance recipients as they re-enter the workforce by allowing them to keep an additional $200 per month in earnings exemptions.
Ending Christy Clark’s disability bus pass clawback, fully restoring the BC Bus Pass program for people with disabilities.
Under Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, one in five children lives in poverty and food bank use has broken records two years in a row. More than 3,000 children have been added to food bank rolls since Christy Clark became premier. John Horgan and the BC NDP will create a provincial poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines to get kids and families out of poverty and on the path to success.

On homelessness, John Horgan and the BC NDP will partner with the federal government, local municipalities, agencies and community groups to create an immediate homelessness action plan that addresses and includes mental health support, social assistance, justice, safety, health and more.

We will also conduct a provide-wide homeless count, committing to reduce the homeless population through permanent housing and services.

BC has the second most expensive childcare in Canada. After housing, groceries and bills it’s hard for parents to find the money. It's why many parents pause their careers and stay home – not by choice but out of necessity.

We can't wait any longer. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between caring for kids and making a living.

A BC NDP government will roll out a $10 a day childcare plan. Add your name if you support it.BC has the second most expensive childcare in Canada. After housing, groceries and bills it’s hard for parents to find the money. It's why many parents pause their careers and stay home – not by choice but out of necessity.

We can't wait any longer. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between caring for kids and making a living.

A BC NDP government will roll out a $10 a day childcare plan. Add your name if you support it.

Forestry is the anchor industry in many of our communities. The BC Liberals have cost BC 30,000 direct forestry jobs and countless more indirect jobs. They have exported raw logs at an unprecedented pace and undermined the future of the industry by failing to keep up with reforestation.

We’ll work hard to bring sustainable jobs back and fight for fair trade deals for our softwood lumber.

We’ll expand markets for BC wood products, including:

Ensuring sure innovative BC wood products are used in infrastructure projects, like schools, hospitals and rental housing construction.
Offering incentives to BC builders that use engineered wood products and to BC companies starting innovative wood manufacturing operations.
Working with industry, local governments and First Nations to create new manufacturing jobs.
Partnering with colleges and universities to train designers, engineers and tradespeople.
We’ll create BC jobs with BC logs by:

Working with BC’s forest industry to find fair and lasting solutions that keep more logs in BC for processing.
Investing in the future by expanding investments in reforestation across BC.
Standing up for BC wood products in softwood lumber negotiations with the United States.

After 16 years of neglect from Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, we need to restore, replace and repair schools, hospitals, roads and transit. In doing so, we’ll create 96,000 real jobs and add $18 billion dollars in economic activity while helping us deliver the services people need.

Building strong communities

Quality schools, good hospitals, recreation centres and transit options are all necessities of communities large and small. We’ll invest in all corners of BC, making communities stronger, spurring economic growth and creating good jobs close to home.

Cutting commute times and reducing congestion

Building a better BC means getting you to and from work and school faster and safer. We’ll invest in improving roads and in major new transit projects to reduce congestion, get cars off the road and reduce our impact on the environment.

Creating technology infrastructure and innovation centres

We’ll partner with universities, colleges, technical institutions and businesses to build and fund specialized innovation centres in the interior and northern BC to make sure all regions of the province benefit from jobs and investment in the new economy.

Building partnerships to fund new infrastructure

Our plan to create 96,000 jobs includes funding partnerships with the federal government, First Nations, municipalities, pension funds, financial institutions and businesses.

Manufacturing provides 180,000 BC jobs, is our largest source of exports and the fourth largest contributor to our GDP. BC companies are proving every day they are and can be successful in manufacturing – we’ll make sure they have the support they need. John Horgan's BC NDP will make this happen by:

Partnering with manufacturers to develop a multi-year growth strategy so the sector can meet its staffing needs.
Working with colleges, technical institutes and other post-secondary institutions to connect students with manufacturers for training.

By refusing to fund transit, Christy Clark has forced more Lower Mainland commuters into their cars, where they pay more than $1200 for costly tolls every year.

Worse, the BC Liberals ignored all the evidence that many people would change their routes to avoid paying the toll, even if it meant driving a little further. As a result, the Port Mann Bridge is underused while New Westminster traffic has reached dangerous levels. The same is true for the Golden Ears Bridge.

Commuters who live on routes without reliable, accessible transit options should not be punished for driving to work. John Horgan's BC NDP will immediately eliminate bridge tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges.

At the same time, we will work with local mayors to invest in reliable transit infrastructure to reduce congestion, fight climate change and help commuters spend more time with the people they care about.

The BC Liberals haven’t been shy about their love of ridesharing services like UBER. But, even though they say they’re creating a “level-playing field,” they never included the taxi industry in their secret negotiations with UBER. John Horgan’s BC NDP will work with both parties to create a truly fair approach to ridesharing in British Columbia that doesn’t unfairly benefit – or punish – one group over the other. This includes: Working with stakeholders across BC to level up standards across the province and ensure British Columbians can count on low-cost predictable fares, accessible services, safe cars and drivers subject to appropriate criminal record checks. Creating a level playing field for all providers and respecting the people currently in the people-moving industry without giving one group of drivers an unfair advantage over the other. Developing a plan that protects passengers from price gouging, particularly after sporting events, concerts and on special occasions and holidays when demand is highest.

Improving BC’s transportation systems
British Columbia is a growing province. It’s time for a transportation system that grows with us. We’ll build projects we need and create reliable long-term funding models.

In Metro Vancouver, John Horgan’s BC NDP support the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Transportation Vision. We have committed to funding 40 per cent of the capital costs of every phase of the plan, in partnership with all levels of government. This plan will create thousands of jobs and fuel economic growth while growing the region and breaking traffic gridlock.

Important projects include building the Broadway Skytrain, rapid transit in Surrey, replacing the Patullo Bridge, improving road networks and adding essential bus service. We will also eliminate tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges to ease congestion.

Across British Columbia, John Horgan’s BC NDP will help people get moving by:

Working with the Metro Vancouver Mayor's Council, Translink and BC Transit to find long and lasting solutions to improve service and ensure that seniors and people with disabilities get the rides they need.
Making much-needed investments in capital projects and buses to support transit in the Capital Regional District and working with local governments to explore the possibility of creating a regional transportation authority.
Leading and promoting efforts to fix the E&N railway tracks so that commuter rail can become an option to eliminate gridlock in the capital region.
Restoring the seniors’ discount on BC Ferries, making it free for seniors to travel from Monday to Thursday, except on holidays; reducing fares by 15 per cent on secondary routes; and freezing fares on major routes while conducting a review of BC Ferries cost structures.
Allowing BC shipyards to bid competitively on every new ferry built.

By creating 96,000 construction jobs we will be building a better BC which means getting you to and from work and school faster and safer. We’ll invest in improving roads and in major new transit projects to reduce congestion, get cars off the road and reduce our impact on the environment.