BC Conservative Leader John Rustad on Thursday unveiled his party’s comprehensive economic and fiscal policy under the headline “A Path to Getting British Columbia’s Economy Back on Track.” Rustad took aim at what he said were the NDP’s reckless fiscal policies, bloated bureaucracy, and the endless regulations that are strangling BC businesses and driving away investment.

“David Eby’s BC is not working—not for workers, not for businesses, and not for the government’s own bank account. Inflation has exploded, incomes haven’t kept up, and businesses are punished for investing in BC,” said Rustad. “It’s time to get back to basics—supporting private sector job growth, cutting red tape, and restoring fiscal sanity.”

Under the NDP, BC has seen a dramatic expansion of the public sector while private sector job growth has stagnated. Rustad criticized the NDP for growing the public sector at the expense of the economy, and promised to focus on private sector job creation.

“The NDP have added more public sector jobs than any other province, while BC is dead last in private sector job creation,” Rustad said. “This isn’t sustainable, and British Columbians will pay the price if we don’t act now.”

The Conservative Party of BC will:

1. Focus on growing private sector jobs in the real economy, not more taxes or more debt.
2. Conduct a Taxpayer Respect Audit to eliminate wasteful government spending and streamline services.
3. Differentiate between public and private sector jobs in government reports to ensure transparency.
4. Empower First Nations through economic reconciliation to unlock prosperity for all British Columbians.

Rustad criticized the NDP’s excessive regulations, which he said are stifling business growth and contributing to BC’s record deficit. He said the Conservative Party of BC is committed to reducing the regulatory burden and unleashing the potential of BC’s business community.

“The NDP’s obsession with regulation has tied BC’s economy in knots,” said Rustad. “Once basic protections are in place, government’s job is to get out of the way and let the private sector thrive.”

The Conservative Party of BC will:

1. Reduce the provincial regulatory burden by at least 25% over its first term, with a Minister responsible for Red Tape Reduction.
2. Introduce a red-tape reduction law, requiring the elimination of one regulation for every new one introduced.

Under the NDP, spending has skyrocketed while services have deteriorated, leaving BC with the worst deficit in its history. Rustad committed to eliminating the NDP’s deficit over two terms, but emphasized that fiscal responsibility would not mean cuts to frontline services.

“David Eby turned a $2 billion surplus into an $8.9 billion deficit—the worst in BC’s history,” Rustad said. “We will eliminate the deficit, but we will do it responsibly, without slashing essential services.”

The Conservative Party of BC will:

1. Think like a taxpayer when introducing new spending bills.
2. Identify unnecessary spending and eliminate waste on non-essential programs.
3. Eliminate the NDP’s historic deficit within two terms of government.

Rustad reaffirmed the Conservative Party’s commitment to making BC the #1 jurisdiction for starting and operating a small business in Canada, recognizing small businesses as the backbone of the provincial economy.

“Small business owners are the real heroes of BC’s economy, but the NDP has burdened them with unnecessary taxes, red tape, and crime in downtown cores,” Rustad said.

The Conservative Party of BC will:

1. Reduce the small business tax to 1%, giving entrepreneurs the best chance to succeed.
2. Crackdown on crime in downtown cores to ensure the safety of businesses, employees, and customers.
3. Target cities to reduce approval times for building permits and business licenses, by publishing benchmarks and wait times to hold cities accountable.

Rustad said that under the NDP, discriminatory hiring policies in public procurement have driven up costs, limited competition, and funneled contracts to the NDP’s friends and donors. He promised to end these sweetheart deals and restore fairness to government procurement.

The Conservative Party of BC will:

1. Restore fair and open procurement practices, ensuring that value and quality are the only criteria for government contracts.
2. Open the bidding process to all qualified contractors and workers, ensuring fairness for all British Columbians.

Rustad reaffirmed the Conservative Party’s commitment to building a prosperous and sustainable future for British Columbians.

“Eby’s BC is broken—economically and fiscally. We will create jobs, cut red tape, restore fiscal responsibility, and build a thriving economy that works for everyone,” he said.