Eby makes late pitch to people who have never voted New Democrat in B.C.

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby speaks during a campaign event ahead of the Oct. 19, 2024 election.

New Democrat Leader David Eby is making a late appeal to voters to support his party even if they never have before, as the British Columbia election campaign enters the home stretch.

Eby says there hasn't been an election as significant "for a generation," on the day the rival B.C. Conservative Party is poised to release its costed platform and just four days before election day on Saturday.

Elections BC says about 597,000 people have already voted in four days of advance polling.

Eby has asked voters "how would you feel" to wake up on Oct. 20 to a Conservative government that included "hateful" candidates and policies that he says will be "driving up your costs in every possible way."

He delivered his message at a Surrey construction site, with a sign in the background parodying anti-NDP political billboards put up outside the home of billionaire Chip Wilson during the campaign.

Rustad has said he would eliminate the provincial carbon tax and exempt up to $3,000 a month in rent or mortgage payments from income taxes, while eliminating the provincial deficit within two terms of government.

The NDP and the Green Party have already released costed platforms that both forecast adding about $2.9 billion to the deficit in their first years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.