Opinion: One debate, 105 minutes, three leaders. BC voters should get a second one

This article is the opinion of the voche.me editors. The facts it relies on are listed with their sources at the end.

British Columbia chooses a government on October 24. Before that day, the three main party leaders will stand on one stage together once. The debate is on Wednesday, October 14, from 6:15 pm to 8 pm Pacific time. That is 105 minutes.

We think 105 minutes is too short for this election. We ask the broadcasters and the leaders for a second debate before October 24.

What is planned

The Canadian Press reported on October 6 that this is the only live and televised leaders' debate of the campaign. David Eby of the BC NDP, Lorne Doerkson of the Conservative Party of BC and Emily Lowan of the BC Greens will take part. Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, will moderate.

Global News reported that five broadcasters organise the debate together: Global BC, CBC, CTV, CITY TV and CHEK.

Count the minutes

105 minutes shared by three leaders is 35 minutes each. That is before any time for the moderator and the questions.

An Angus Reid Institute survey published on October 5 asked British Columbians which issues matter most to their vote. Six issues were named by 24 per cent or more:

• cost of living, 57 per cent
• health care, 42 per cent
• the economy and jobs, 26 per cent
• housing affordability, 24 per cent
• the deficit, 24 per cent
• public safety, 24 per cent

Give those six issues equal time and each one gets 17 and a half minutes. Each leader gets under six minutes on each issue.

Six minutes to explain a plan for hospitals. Six minutes on a deficit that the province's September update put at $13.8 billion, the largest on record, as The Canadian Press reported. Six minutes on the price of food and rent.

Many voters are still deciding

The same survey found that 46 per cent of British Columbians chose the strongest level of certainty about their vote. The other 54 per cent did not.

It also asked who would be the best premier. Mr. Doerkson was named by 36 per cent and Mr. Eby by 33 per cent. Another 31 per cent said neither of them is the best choice.

One leader is new to most voters. The Canadian Press reported on September 28 that Mr. Doerkson had replaced Kerry-Lynne Findlay as Conservative leader the week before. In the survey, 25 per cent of British Columbians had no opinion of him. His party was in first place in that survey, with 48 per cent of decided and leaning voters against 43 per cent for the BC NDP.

A debate is the one event where a voter can watch all three leaders answer the same question.

Voting starts two days later

Advance voting opens on October 16 and runs to October 21. The debate is on the evening of October 14.

A person who votes on the first advance day will have had one evening with the leaders together and one full day to think about what they heard.

Two leaders are left out

The Canadian Press reported that Dallas Brodie of OneBC and Elenore Sturko of CentreBC are not involved. The group of broadcasters said its members agreed on the rules a leader must meet to qualify. It did not immediately respond to the news agency's request for details.

There is a fair argument for a stage of three. Global News reported that CentreBC has 35 candidates and OneBC has 33. The legislature has 93 seats, so a majority needs 47. Neither party has enough candidates to win a majority.

We accept that argument. We still want the rules published. Voters in those ridings will see CentreBC and OneBC names on their ballots, and they should be able to read why those leaders were left out.

What can be said for one debate

A fair reader should weigh three points.

In 2024 there was also one debate organised by the same group. CBC News reported that it was scheduled from 6:30 pm to 8 pm, which is 90 minutes. This year's debate is 15 minutes longer.

The debate is free to watch. Global News listed television, 730 CKNW radio and YouTube.

More time alone does little when a leader avoids the question. A leader who avoids a question for six minutes can avoid it for twelve.

We have weighed these points. Victoria News reported that this is a snap election, called on September 22. From that call to election day is 32 days, and the Conservative leader took the job in September. More time with the leaders together is a small request.

What we ask

A second debate between October 15 and October 23. Two subjects only: the deficit and health care. Twenty minutes for each leader on each subject, which is 120 minutes in total.

The rules, published. One page from the broadcasters that says what a party leader must meet to be invited.

Three questions on October 14. Each one comes from a fact in the public record.

• To Mr. Doerkson: you promise no new taxes and you say the deficit must fall. What will your government spend less on? We set out the numbers in our article on the Conservative promises.
• To Mr. Eby: The Canadian Press reported that you promised steadily declining deficits in 2024. The forecast is now a record $13.8 billion. In which year does it start to fall?
• To Ms. Lowan: your party says a tax on wealth above $50 million will raise $22.2 billion in its first year. How many households will pay it? We ask for the calculation in our article on the Green wealth tax.

Watch on October 14 and count how many of the three questions get a number for an answer. Election day is October 24, 2026.