More than a few voters remain unsure about where to place their vote in Saturday’s provincial election. The choice is difficult. Platforms offer some guidance, but promises mean little when parties feel free to abandon them once in power.

This election is largely a contest between centrists and right-wingers, leaving voters on the left with little to inspire them.

From left to right, I would place the parties in this order, but the first is centrist, not leftist: BC Greens → BC NDP → CentreBC → BC Conservatives → OneBC.

A true party of the left seeks to distribute wealth, power, and opportunity more equally, judging its success by improvements in people’s lives—especially those with the least money and influence.

A centrist party generally accepts a market economy tempered by public services, regulation, and moderate redistribution. It favours gradual reform and compromise, seeking to balance private enterprise with social protection.

A right-wing party generally favours deregulation and individual responsibility, and accepts economic inequality as a consequence of differences in effort, ability, or circumstance.

The following is a condensed list of policies related to important issues:.

Environment and climate

NDP -— Promote higher production of fossil fuels while continuing CleanBC climate action programs to lower domestic emissions and energy costs.

Conservatives — Repeal CleanBC, expand fossil fuel production, and support pipelines.

OneBC — Support pipelines, end government programs to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions of new construction. Oppose targets for emission reductions and eliminate climate action programs.

CentreBC — Reduce near-term emission targets, while encouraging EV charger installati0ns.

Green — End approvals for new fracking expansion, LNG terminals and expansions, and fossil-fuel pipelines. End subsidies supporting fossil-fuel expansion and plan a managed decline of existing production. Strengthen industrial carbon pricing, expand renewables and home retrofits, provide free public transit, and restore the requirement for 100% zero-emission new light-duty vehicle sales by 2035.

Housing

NDP -— .Simplify approvals of qualifying projects of up to six homes in large municipalities. Standardize permit requirements and work to reduce development cost charges on multi-unit housing. Raise the speculation and vacancy tax and introduce an escalating tax on developer-owned condos left empty and unsold for more than a year

Conservatives — Cut construction taxes and charges, accelerate approvals, and reduce energy-efficiency requirements. End provincial density requirements. Support infrastructure needed by growth. Provide tax credits for creating self-contained accommodation for senior relatives.

OneBC — Eliminate requirements for improvements in energy efficiency and emissions.

CentreBC — Shorten times taken for issuance of building permits. Reduce development cost charges for rental and below-market homes. Promote construction of prefabricated and mass-timber homes.

Green — Restart the Community Housing Fund and Indigenous Housing Fund, aiming to build or protect 26,000 homes annually. Revise municipal housing targets to account for water capacity, watershed health, climate resilience, health care and other services.

Healthcare

NDP -— Open additional primary care clinics and expand health-worker training capacity. Accelerate pathways for internationally trained doctors. Introduce regional surgical waitlists, expand MRI and CT capacity.

Conservatives — Fund treatment by private practictioners. Recruit and train more staff.

OneBC — Redirect administration and human-resources spending to frontline care and repeal the Health Professions and Occupations Act, which regulates healthcare professionals.

CentreBC — Add five public-hospital MRI machines,. Oppose private-pay arrangements that drain public staffing, while temporarily purchasing publicly funded scans from existing clinics.

Green — Establish an integrated Community Health Centre in every riding, Introduce centralized surgical referrals, strengthen nurse retention and safe staffing ratios, and phase out reliance on private staffing agencies. Review health-authority structures while preserving local decision-making.

Education

NDP -— Continue school-building program, including a new Burke Mountain middle school.

Conservatives — Accelerate pathways into trades. Further restrict phones, and enable school police liaison programs.

OneBC — Promote the three Rs.

CentreBC — Add school and teacher training capacity. Hire more education assistants, counsellors and behaviour-support teams.

Green — Close the inclusive-education funding gap, replace the funding formula with a needs-based model, and phase private-school subsidies into public schools. Establish universal school meals and a school-supplies program. Improve school facilities and support inclusion.

Reconciliation

NDP -— .Continue current policies.

Conservatives — Repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).

OneBC — Repeal DRIPA. Seek constitutional changes to eliminate Indigenous rights.

CentreBC — Repeal DRIPA.

Green — Implement DRIPA through further legislation, uphold Indigenous self-determination, and emphasize free, prior and informed consent for projects affecting Indigenous territories. Recognize Indigenous governments beyond Indian Act band structures.

I believe we need to decide those things that are important, not for the next few years, but for the next decades.

Strategic voting means voting for a candidate who is not your first choice because you believe they have a better chance of defeating a candidate or party you oppose.

In 2026, voters may support the BC Green policies, but oppose BC Conservatives and OneBC. They might be bothered by the NDP’s weak climate policies, but worry that right-wing parties will be even worse. If they believe the Green candidate is not viable, they may vote NDP.

Here is a video that argues against strategic voting: