BC Conservative Party leader Lorne Doerkson hits campaign trail in Cariboo-Chilcotin

BC Conservative Party leader Lorne Doerkson hits campaign trail in Cariboo-Chilcotin

Published 5:45 pm Sunday, October 4, 2026

B.C. Conservative interim leader Lorne Doerkson spent Sunday (Oct. 4) swinging through the southern part of his riding, where he met with residents at events in Savona, Cache Creek, and Clinton.

At the Cache Creek stop, Doerkson emphasized that while he is the interim party leader, he was there campaigning to be the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, the riding he has represented since first being elected in 2020.

“I’ve enjoyed being your MLA. I’m unbelievably committed to the Cariboo-Chilcotin, because it is first and foremost my home. It has been for 30 years, and I’ve done everything in my power to support the communities down here since they were added in 2024 due to the boundary expansion.

“I don’t want anybody thinking that other interests will take my interest away. I guess what I want to say is I want to be your MLA again.”

Doerkson noted the challenges that many British Columbians were having, in the region and beyond, such as hospital closures.

“We can put men and women on the moon. Why we can’t keep these emergency rooms open is beyond me. I will continue to make it clear we are not going to cut anything from these front line services, but I just can’t help but think there are things internally we can do. I’ve talked to nurse practitioners who have said that they can help in this fight against these closures.”

He also made particular mention of the challenging wildfire season in the region, and the staggering losses they cause.

“Not just the expense of fighting fires year after year, but the losses in our timber, the losses of wildlife, the loss of the tourism industry. And then there’s the human element of 120 buildings that were lost [in the Pear Lake wildfire].”

He talked of people living in RVs because they have lost their home, and of the challenges faced by those who cannot afford, or obtain, insurance. Our insurances have become so expensive, and in some cases don’t exist at all, so that’s definitely a concern of mine.”

Doerkson spoke about the province’s ballooning debt, which is scheduled to reach more than $183 billion by 2027.

“We can’t keep coming to the public for tax money. I committed to it last week in a press announcement that we will not raise taxes in this province as long as I’m premier. I absolutely am committed to not increasing taxes, because I firmly don’t believe that’s the solution.”

He touted liquid natural gas as a resource the world wants and which the province has in abundance, which is why he wants to see more plants built and production tripled by 2035. He also reiterated his longstanding frustration at how long it takes to get permits to do natural resource work in the province.

He cited the case of a Lac La Hache resident who spent two years getting a renewal on his permit to continue doing mining work. On the day the permit was issued, Doerkson phoned to congratulate him, but the man was too busy to talk.

“He was out hiring people, he was out buying three used pick-up trucks, and a new digger. Every single thing he did the second that permit was approved was a taxable event, which is income for us, which takes the pressure off of us.”

During the question period, Doerkson admitted that becoming interim leader was “a bit of a surprise. But I want to be the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin. Forget about the premier stuff.”

However, Doerkson was asked about his status should the B.C. Conservatives form government following the provincial election on Oct. 24, given that the party’s constitution does not currently allow the interim leader to become leader.

“That will happen the night of the election,” said Doerkson. “If I am elected as premier, if the good folks of British Columbia place their faith in me, I will continue as premier. We’ve been clear about that [and] we’ve got that solved for election night.”

A resident who said he was “very worried” about the OneBC party platform, and did not agree with it, asked Doerkson how he felt about the splinter party’s far right platform. Earlier in the week, Doerkson had admitted to having had informal talks with OneBC interim leader Dallas Brodie, who had later said she was open to abstaining from running OneBC candidates in key ridings to avoid splitting the right wing vote.

“There are no conversations [with OneBC] going on and no deal,” replied Doerkson.

When someone said they hoped no one would cross the floor after the election, Doerkson said he would be lying if he said things hadn’t been stressful for a long time.

“If I’m known for anything it’s for broad thinking and for being somebody that wants to build teams. I wasn’t joking: it was a surprise to find myself in this situation. But as soon as I got off the plane [Doerkson was abroad when he received news that he was interim leader], I went and started speaking with friends of mine who had either been expelled [from the Conservatives] or left.”

Doerkson said that while he knows that approach doesn’t appeal to everyone, the reality is that wherever he goes in B.C. he hears that there is an interest in a change of government, and that everyone needs to help in order to do that. It means that as far as he is concerned, the chain of events that led to him finding himself interim leader is ancient history.

“Right now we are 20 days away from an election that is extremely important to this province, in my mind, and I want to take us in a different direction. I want to build up our province . . . it’s not the B.C. that it was.

“British Columbians want change. It is consistent everywhere I go. We have to change something here, because we cannot stay on this path.”