Premier David Eby believes the B.C. Conservatives should release more particulars of their housing policies, with the Oct. 19 provincial election just over one month away.
Speaking at a meeting of real estate and urban development professionals Thursday, the BC NDP leader said voters deserve to know what exactly the Conservatives intend to do on housing if they win a majority in the upcoming vote and form a new government.
“I would like to know what the Conservative housing plan is,” Eby told the audience at an industry event hosted by Urban Land Institute BC. “I think for housing to be on the ballot for people, they have to actually understand what their choices are that are coming forward.”
Although he has indicated he would nix most, if not all, of the BC NDP’s housing initiatives, Conservative Leader John Rustad has not specifically promised to repeal certain NDP measures like the speculation and vacancy tax or the forthcoming home-flipping tax set to take effect Jan. 1.
Speaking to BIV following his remarks, Eby said more clarity is needed from his opponent.
“I think what he’s said is he wants to go back to the old status quo where we’re taking forever to build the homes that we need through endless public hearings with municipalities and not treating the housing crisis like a crisis by reining in Airbnb, addressing speculation and ensuring that people aren’t buying up entire homes as investments and leaving them vacant,” said Eby.
“I think that’s a huge mistake but I think he should be frank and put it down in writing.”
Rustad told BIV that he wants to end the NDP’s “authoritarian” approach on density and zoning.
Asked how a Conservative government’s policies on housing would differ from the current NDP government, Rustad said, “We're not going to proceed with what Eby is doing, which is this authoritarian approach – overriding local governments.”
“The whole idea of densification is needed," he said. "But Eby’s approach – with building multiple units on a single lot – doesn't address parking, it doesn't address traffic, it doesn't address water and sewer, it doesn't address everything else that needs to be done.”
Rustad said his administration would work with municipalities to achieve “pre-zoning” as part of official community plans, in order to save time and accelerate housing development.
“When somebody wants to come in and build, let's say, a duplex or multiple-unit building, it fits within that already-planned-out densification, and they don't have to then go through the process,” he said.
“That'll help to significantly reduce costs and speed up times. And then, as a government, we want to come to the table with things like money for water and sewer upgrades to help municipalities build a managed densification and additional growth.”
Rustad's party says on its website that its housing platform includes “cracking down on illegal money laundering that has inflated prices and facilitated criminal activity."
This suggests a Conservative government could potentially revive unimplemented recommendations from the Cullen Commission, which delivered a lengthy report about money laundering in B.C. to the provincial government in June 2022.
The Eby government has not yet implemented a key recommendation of the commission’s report, namely an independent legislative office for permanent anti-money laundering oversight.
—With files from Nelson Bennett
