Fully costed BC Conservative platform coming Sunday, Doerkson promises in Delta

Fully costed BC Conservative platform coming Sunday, Doerkson promises in Delta

Published 3:40 pm Sunday, October 18, 2026

B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson promises a fully costed party platform will be available later this afternoon (Sunday, Oct. 18).

Doerkson was asked about the platform by a reporter at a media event held in Delta to announce the party’s “Thriving Kids Plan.” Doerkson was joined by Conservative candidates from around the region including Delta South’s Ian Paton – whose farm provided the backdrop for the event – and Delta North’s Monica Mohan. Also present were Surrey candidates Garry Thind (Surrey-Guildford), Mandeep Dhaliwal (Surrey North) and Bryan Tepper (Surrey Panorama), among others from the Lower Mainland.

Among the planks in the newly announced plan, as announced by Doerkson:

• full ban on cellphones in schools – “no phones in school, full stop”;

• expanded school meal programs in high-need communities;

• a $500 activity credit – a refundable B.C. tax credit for sports, music, recreation and art camps;

• doubling playground equipment program funding to $10 million a year, with a goal of replacing aging playgrounds at 50 schools each year;

• partnering with municipalities to match municipal funding for sports and recreation facilities;

• support for families of children with autism, extending autism funding and reviewing changes by the BC NDP to ensure no family loses their funding.

“Too many kids start the school day hungry. Too many families are working harder than ever and still can’t afford hockey, swimming, music, or summer camp. Too many schools have playgrounds that are falling apart, and parents spend years running bake sales to replace them. And too many classrooms have become a contest between the teacher and a cellular phone,” Doerkson said. “Here’s the truth: a child who is hungry, tired, restless, or distracted cannot learn. Every parent knows that. Every teacher sees the results.”