---
title: "Conservative Party of BC releases economic plan with PST cut and permitting changes"
description: "Lorne Doerkson announced the Conservative Party of BC's economic platform in Surrey on October 7, proposing to scrap the PST on business investment for three years and pass a 120-day permitting law for major projects."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/conservative-bc-economy-plan-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:06:56.878Z"
---

The Conservative Party of British Columbia released its economic platform on October 7, 2026, in Surrey. Party leader [Lorne Doerkson](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/lorne-doerkson) announced the plan, which the party says would encourage business investment, reduce regulatory requirements, and grow the province's resource sector.

## What the party proposes

The [Conservative Party of BC](/bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc) says it would scrap the provincial sales tax on business machinery, equipment, and software for three years. It would also create an expert panel to deliver a tax simplification plan within 180 days of taking office, and appoint a minister specifically responsible for reducing regulations.

On major projects, the party says it would pass a 120 Day Permitting Act requiring a government decision on permit applications for projects over $250 million within that window. It says it would also reduce regulations to 2017 levels by the end of a first term, under a rule that would require two regulations to be removed for every new one added.

The party's announcement also includes plans for a Premier's Technology Council and what it calls a BC Energy Superpower Plan, with a stated goal of doubling natural gas production by 2032.

## The party's figures

The Conservative Party of BC's announcement cited several economic figures to support its case. The party says 26,000 full-time jobs were lost in August 2026 alone, and that the provincial unemployment rate stands at 6.5%. It says 21 lumber mills have closed since 2023. The party puts the provincial deficit at $13.8 billion, which it describes as a record, and says the province has received eight credit downgrades since 2023. It also says the NDP government announced $1.3 billion in tax increases during the campaign.

These figures come from the party's own announcement. voche.me has not independently verified them.

In the release, Doerkson is quoted as saying: "David Eby's NDP have taxed and regulated our economy into decline, chasing away the investment and jobs that families depend on." No response from the BC NDP appeared in the party's announcement.

## What voters can do

The announcement covers platform commitments, not a schedule. Voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21. If you want to see how each party's economic proposals compare, the party pages on this site list platform commitments as they are announced.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.