Minister of Citizens' Services, running again for the BC NDP in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
Diana Gibson has been the MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head since 2024 and Minister of Citizens' Services since July 2025. In 2026 she led Bill 9, the changes to the freedom of information law, which passed third reading on a tie broken by the Speaker. She also announced rural internet projects and 911 funding.
A researched record of Diana Gibson's 19 commitments, 8 dated actions and 5 public statements, with 6 news items. Most come from the legislature record and government releases in 2026.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Diana Gibson
Diana Gibson is the BC NDP candidate in Oak Bay-Gordon Head on Elections BC's list for the general election of October 24, 2026. She won the district in 2024 with 14,519 votes, 49.10% of the valid vote, according to the Elections BC statement of votes.
The legislature record shows her as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation from November 18, 2024 to July 17, 2025, and as Minister of Citizens' Services from July 17, 2025.
In 2026 she introduced and led Bill 9, which changed the freedom of information law and set legal rules for Connected Services BC, a single way to reach government services. Critics, including the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association and opposition MLAs, said the bill would let officials delay or refuse more requests. On May 28, 2026 the bill passed third reading 46 to 46, with the Speaker's casting vote.
The government's biography of her says she led the Greater Victoria Community Social Planning Council, where she founded the Greater Victoria Rent Bank, and that she directed a university research institute. Her campaign page says she co-founded the Firelight Group and that the Rent Bank helped more than 2,000 households. voche.me did not check these claims against the organizations.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
19 commitments shown · Checked Sep 30
2026 · EconomyIn progress
Fibre internet for 4,000 rural homes in the Thompson-Okanagan
A government release on June 10, 2026 quotes Gibson announcing $63 million from the Province and Canada for a fibre network to nearly 4,000 households in 50 rural and Indigenous communities.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the money, the number of homes and a 2029 completion date. Part of the money is federal, and Telus builds the network.
What still needs checking
Is the network finished in 2029, and how many homes are connected?
In the Citizens' Services estimates debate on February 26, 2026, Gibson said the goal is to connect all communities in B.C. to high-speed internet, at a minimum speed of 50/10 megabits, with up to $830 million committed by the Province and Canada in 2022.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She gave 97% of homes connected in January 2026 and 65,788 households still underserved. She gave no date for reaching all households.
What still needs checking
When will the last underserved households be connected?
A government release on March 13, 2026 quotes Gibson on a new subsea fibre-optic cable between Haida Gwaii and the northern mainland, with up to $24 million from Northern Development Initiative Trust.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the money and says construction begins in spring 2026. It gives no completion date.
Connected Services BC for all major life events by 2030
In the estimates debate on February 26, 2026, Gibson said the goal is that all major life events will be supported by Connected Services BC by 2030. On March 4 she said Bill 9 gives the legal basis for programs to share a person's information, with permission, so they give it once.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She gave the division's base budget of $651.762 million. She gave no count of services to be joined.
What still needs checking
Which life events are covered by the 2030 date, and is progress reported each year?
Save $30 million in 2026-27 through shared technology
In the estimates debate on February 26, 2026, Gibson said Connected Services BC is planned to save $30 million in 2026-27 and that her ministry's budget already includes a $35 million cut, most of it from IT contracts.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A savings figure and a year from the minister. voche.me found no report of savings achieved.
What still needs checking
Does the ministry report the savings at the end of 2026-27?
Gibson introduced Bill 9 on February 26, 2026 and said it would make freedom of information requests easier to manage while keeping access and privacy rights. The bill passed third reading on May 28, 2026, on a 46 to 46 tie broken by the Speaker.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The transcript records the third reading vote. The government says personal information can be released without a formal request; critics say officials gain more grounds to delay or refuse requests.
What still needs checking
Do response times and refusal rates change in the first year under the new rules?
In a statement on May 4, 2026 Gibson said she was introducing amendments to Bill 9 for clarity. In committee on May 20 she moved an amendment that removed the words "in the opinion of the head of the public body" from clause 2, and said the government no longer pursued the change to "without unreasonable delay".
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The clause 2 amendment passed on May 21, 2026, 49 votes for. Her clause 3 amendment was ruled out of order, and she said the government would not pursue that change.
What still needs checking
Does the final act keep the "without delay" standard?
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said the government capped rent increases and tied them to inflation, at 2.3% in 2026, and that it stays committed to that rent control.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the cap and the 2026 rate. She gives no rate for later years.
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said the government is bringing child care costs down and that Budget 2026 puts $330 million over three years into child care.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the budget amount and period. She gives no number of spaces or fee level.
What still needs checking
What fee level or number of spaces does the $330 million keep?
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said Budget 2026 puts $2.8 billion in new money over three years into health care, including $2.3 billion to hire more doctors, nurses and health workers, because some people in her district still have no family doctor.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the budget amounts. She gives no number of doctors or patients to be connected.
What still needs checking
How many people in Oak Bay-Gordon Head still have no family doctor?
New engineering and computer science building at UVic
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said the Province is putting $97 million toward a new University of Victoria building with space for 500 more students.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the money and the number of students. She gives no opening date.
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said Budget 2026 adds $634 million for K to 12 over three years, including money to bring more teachers, special education supports and counsellors into classrooms.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the amount and period. She gives no number of teachers.
What still needs checking
How many teachers and counsellors does the money add?
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said Budget 2026 adds $139 million for justice and public safety, aimed at repeat and violent offenders and faster access to justice.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the amount. She gives no target or date.
What still needs checking
What does the $139 million pay for in Greater Victoria?
911 calling for communities that still use 10-digit numbers
A government release on September 11, 2026 quotes Gibson on up to $5 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities move from local 10-digit emergency numbers to 911.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release gives the amount and says the Union of BC Municipalities runs the fund. It names Haida Gwaii but gives no total count of communities or date.
Raise the first tax bracket rate with a credit for low incomes
In the budget debate on March 5, 2026, Gibson said Budget 2026 raises the rate in the first income tax bracket by less than 0.6 percentage points and pays it back to low-income people through a tax credit.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
She names the change. She gives no revenue figure.
Remove barriers for Indigenous and racialized public servants
A government release on May 28, 2026 quotes Gibson on a report about hiring, promotion and departures of Indigenous and racialized employees in the BC Public Service.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The release describes further research. It names no measure, number or date.
What still needs checking
What changes to hiring or promotion follow from the report?
The BC NDP platform page says the party made a $1.1 billion investment in climate-ready communities. Her campaign page says voters can count on her and David Eby on climate change, in wording the party uses on other candidates' pages with the name changed.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Party text. voche.me found no statement by Gibson on climate in 2026.
Recorded votes and government programs where an official source names her. A government program is the government's; it is listed here only where the release quotes her.
Recorded vote, yes; bill passed third reading
Moved and voted yes on third reading of Bill 9
Gibson moved third reading of the freedom of information bill. The vote was 46 to 46, and the Speaker voted yes because the bill was a confidence matter.
Scope, limits and sources
The transcript records the tie and the Speaker's casting vote.
Gibson announced $63 million from the Province and Canada for fibre internet to nearly 4,000 households, according to the government release and Black Press reporting.
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
Policy dispute
Dispute over the freedom of information changes in Bill 9
The B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association said Bill 9 weakens access rights. Green MLA Rob Botterell and Conservative critic Jody Toor said it would let officials delay or refuse more requests, according to the Surrey Now-Leader. The Conservatives moved to delay the bill by six months, CBC News reported. The Information and Privacy Commissioner said he was encouraged by the changes, the Now-Leader reported.
Candidate or party response
In a May 4, 2026 statement Gibson said the bill and her amendments do not change response timelines, allow refusal of legitimate requests or add fees. She withdrew two proposed wording changes during committee.
Verified status and limits
The bill passed third reading on May 28, 2026 on the Speaker's casting vote after a 46 to 46 tie. No court or regulator has ruled on it.
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
Oak Bay News
Housing and seniors' care as local focus
Reports her work on affordable housing and the former Oak Bay Lodge site, and her plans for doctor recruitment in 2026.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Her campaign page lists no events and no platform of her own, and its Latest page opens the party's page. Her X, Facebook and Instagram pages show no readable posts to a direct read, so nothing from them is used. The Bill 9 committee debates (May 19 to 26, 2026) were read only at her amendments and at clause 13; her Labour Statutes (Bill 10) and Bill 16 speeches and the Bill 2 committee stage were archived but not read line by line. Votes other than Bill 9 third reading and the clause 2 amendment are taken from the vote index only. Government releases from her time as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (2024 to 2025) were not read. Her roles before 2024 rest on the government biography and her campaign page: the Community Social Planning Council page answered with a block to direct reads, and her work at the Firelight Group and a university research institute was not checked. The Oak Bay Lodge site and the Luther Court housing project described in December 2025 reporting were not checked against official records. No 2026 all-candidates meeting for Oak Bay-Gordon Head was found. Campaign finances and endorsements were not reviewed. The questionnaire has not been sent.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on 2026-09-30: the Elections BC candidate list and 2024 statement of votes, the legislature's 2026 speech and vote indexes, twelve 2026 transcripts where she spoke or where a vote she was part of took place, seven government releases and her government biography, her campaign page, the BC NDP platform and releases pages, and news reports from December 2025 to September 2026.
Her commitments on this page come from what she said in the legislature and in government releases in 2026. Her campaign page uses party text that names her, and it states no measures of its own. Sections with no entry record that voche.me found nothing on this date.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No questions and answers have been supplied.
Have your own question?
Ask Diana Gibson directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Diana Gibson's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Diana Gibson?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Diana Gibson's own campaign.
What party is Diana Gibson running with?
Diana Gibson is running for MLA with BC NDP.
Does Diana Gibson currently hold public office?
Yes. Diana Gibson currently serves as Minister of Citizens' Services; MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
How many sources does this Diana Gibson profile cite?
This profile lists 4 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Diana Gibson's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Diana Gibson in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Diana Gibson is running in?
The 2026 British Columbia election, including the MLA race, is decided on October 24, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
No campaign updates yet
Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added.
