B.C.’s Conservatives are returning to government for the first time in nearly a century—and incoming premier Lorne Doerkson, whose career has spanned rodeo arenas and newspaper publishing, has a message for businesses considering an exit: stick around.
Doerkson led his party to a majority in the October 24 snap election, defeating Premier David Eby’s NDP and putting the Conservatives on course to govern for the first time since 1933 (read political reporter Rob Shaw’s take on how Eby misplayed his hand).
His pitch to employers and business owners had taken shape earlier that month at the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s pre-election forum, where the province’s three major party leaders presented their economic plans on October 13.
A pre-election survey of 351 GVBOT members found that 77 percent believed B.C.’s economy was on the wrong track, while 80 percent lacked confidence that the provincial government’s economic strategy would support investment, productivity and job creation. Nearly one-third said their organization had considered reducing investment in B.C. or had already done so.
“I am a guy who has signed paycheques just like you,” Doerkson told the audience. “I know what it means to run a business, meet payroll, and make decisions about whether you can afford to grow or not.”
His proposed answer: lower taxes, fewer regulatory hurdles and a bigger push to get investment flowing into the province. On top of his to-do list: a close review of B.C.’s debt-laden finances, alongside working with Alberta and Ottawa to advance the proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast.
Here are seven commitments businesses will be watching.
1. “Cut red tape like it’s never been cut before.”
Doerkson’s election-night promise comes with a specific proposal—legislation requiring the provincial government to eliminate two existing regulations for every new one introduced.
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The GVBOT survey reflected the current frustration: 72 percent of respondents said the province wasn’t doing enough to improve regulatory processes for major projects.
At the forum, Doerkson framed his proposal as a way to free businesses from spending their time navigating government requirements instead of growing, adding that the changes would reach across forestry, mining, manufacturing, technology, clean energy, agriculture, tourism and small businesses.
“You shouldn’t have to be fighting your own government to invest in British Columbia and create jobs,” he said.
2. Give businesses a three-year PST break on investments
Doerkson pledged to eliminate the seven percent provincial sales tax on qualifying investments in machinery, tools and software—which he calls “a direct penalty on growth and productivity”—for at least three years. The proposed exemption would lower the cost of eligible purchases, giving companies an incentive to upgrade equipment and expand their operations in B.C.
Doerkson also pledged to permanently repeal the contentious PST expansion to professional services, which drew severe backlash from affected businesses. Eby had paused the expansion for the duration of the U.S. trade war, leaving businesses uncertain about when—or whether—it would return.
3. Set a 120-day approval framework for major projects
Doerkson proposed a 120-day approval framework for major capital projects worth more than $250 million.
“That means clear processes, predictable timelines, and a government that understands that time matters when you’re making investments in this province,” he said, pledging to work with First Nations, industry and communities while maintaining strong environmental standards. “We are going to get back to building big things in British Columbia.”
4. “Make British Columbia an energy superpower”
Doerkson wants to more than double B.C.’s natural gas production by 2032 and more than triple it by 2035. His BC Energy Superpower Plan pairs that expansion with faster approvals, new pipelines and increased electricity generation to attract LNG investment and reach overseas buyers.
“The world is facing a global energy crisis, and our allies in Asia and Europe desperately need Canadian LNG,” Doerkson said when announcing the plan.
The strategy includes removing emissions limits the party considers barriers to investment, replacing the carbon-tax framework and legislating a 120-day approval process. It also backs pipeline expansions, a firm deadline for the North Coast transmission line and new power from renewables, hydro and gas-fired plants. Expanded loan guarantees would help more First Nations acquire ownership stakes in projects.
The business audience is largely onside: 87 percent of surveyed GVBOT members supported expanding LNG exports. Delivering the power to support that growth is another matter—48 percent doubted B.C. would have adequate electricity and energy supply over the next decade.
Doerkson is betting the expansion will translate into both private investment and public revenue. “That is tens of thousands of jobs in our province and at least $6 billion a year for hospitals and schools that we all depend on,” he said in his victory speech.
5. Back mining, forestry and the infrastructure that gets goods to market
Doerkson’s resource-sector promises extend from the forest floor to the shipping terminal.
In his speech, he called for more timber reaching mills, faster permits and support for exploration to identify future mines. He also highlighted ports, rail and electricity connections as essential to turning those resources into investment and jobs.
At the GVBOT forum, he singled out Lower Mainland transportation bottlenecks, including the George Massey crossing, as everyday business costs that need attention.
“These are not abstract issues; they affect workers, deliveries, and the cost of doing business every day,” he said.
85 percent of survey respondents said Lower Mainland traffic and congestion had worsened over the past four years, while 71 percent said the province wasn’t doing enough to prioritize transportation and infrastructure investment. Highway 1 improvements and the George Massey crossing replacement topped their local infrastructure priorities, selected by 56 and 55 percent respectively.
6. Bring investors to Vancouver for a business summit
Doerkson wants to make a public show of B.C.’s investment ambitions, promising a Vancouver business summit in 2027. “We will invite the world to Vancouver next year for a business summit that will show that British Columbia is open for business,” he told the GVBOT audience.
The event would sit alongside his proposed tax and regulatory changes as an effort to persuade businesses to invest and expand here.
7. Give businesses a tax credit for hiring young workers
Doerkson’s proposed First Job Tax Credit would give businesses a tax credit on the first $5,000 in payroll costs to help young British Columbians land their first job.
The incentive aims to make it easier for employers to give inexperienced workers a start—and help young people build the skills and experience they need to move up.
Read the B.C. Conservatives’ full plan here.
