Where every party stands on cost of living
4 of the 10 parties on the October 24 ballot have published something on cost of living and affordability. Here they are side by side, each with its source.
BEFORE YOU COMPARE
Who actually decides this
The province sets the minimum wage, income assistance rates and provincial tax credits, and decides the rules for public auto insurance and electricity. Ottawa sets federal tax credits and cities set property tax.
Read the commitments below against that. Where a party proposes something the city cannot do on its own, the commitment carries a line naming who holds the power. That is not a criticism of the promise. A council can lobby, fund and argue, and saying so plainly is more useful than pretending the limit does not exist.
WHAT THE COMPARISON SHOWS
Reading this ballot on cost of living
4 of the 10 parties have published something here, and between them they have made 9 separate commitments. BC Green Party has published the most, with 5.
Not one of these commitments carries a dollar figure, a count or a percentage. They set a direction, which means there is nothing here to check against a budget later.
3 commitments have a deadline attached. A promise with a date on it is the rarest kind on this ballot and the easiest to hold someone to.
7 of the 9 commitments here depend at least partly on a government other than the city. That does not make them empty, but it does change what a council can promise about them.
SIDE BY SIDE
Every published position on cost of living
| Party | Published position | Commitments |
|---|---|---|
| BC Green Party | Not yet researched. | 5 |
| Centre BC | Not yet researched. | 2 |
| Conservative Party of BC | Not yet researched. | 2 |
| BC Libertarian Party | Not yet researched. | — |
| BC NDP | The BC NDP says it will keep costs down for families during the trade conflict, and points to past measures on car insurance, health premiums and bridge tolls. No new measure with a dollar figure was published by September 30, 2026. | — |
| CanWest Party | Nothing published. Checked September 30, 2026. | — |
| Christian Heritage Party of BC | Not yet researched. | — |
| Communist Party of BC | Not yet researched. | — |
| Freedom Party of BC | Not yet researched. | — |
| OneBC | Nothing published. Checked September 30, 2026. | — |
BC GREEN PARTY
BC Green Party on cost of living
- Lift the freeze on $10-a-day child careUniversal free child care by 2031, the party says.
- One registration point for child care
- A wage grid for early childhood educators$35 to $45 an hour by 2028, the party says.
- Raise income and disability assistance above the poverty line
CENTRE BC
Centre BC on cost of living
- Remove PST on food production and farm equipment
- $10-a-day child care for every family
CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF BC
Conservative Party of BC on cost of living
- Remove the PST on Canadian beer, wine and spiritsFor the length of the U.S. trade dispute, by the party’s account.
- No new taxes and no tax increases
Read all 2 Conservative Party of BC commitments, with sources
BC NDP
Past measures, and no new cost figure yet
The BC NDP says it will keep costs down for families during the trade conflict, and points to past measures on car insurance, health premiums and bridge tolls. No new measure with a dollar figure was published by September 30, 2026.
NOTHING PUBLISHED YET
6 parties have published nothing on this
A blank records that we looked on the date shown and found nothing on the public record. Some parties are not contesting the race that decides this subject, which is a reason to publish nothing on it.
BC Libertarian Party
Not yet researched by voche.me. Last reviewed October 7, 2026.
CanWest Party
Nothing published on cost of living. Checked September 30, 2026.
Christian Heritage Party of BC
Not yet researched by voche.me. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.
Communist Party of BC
Not yet researched by voche.me. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.
Freedom Party of BC
Not yet researched by voche.me. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.
OneBC
Nothing published on cost of living. Checked September 30, 2026.