We asked, they answered – What BC’s party leaders told us about their health care priorities

BC Election 2024 – We asked each party leader where health care sits with them as a priority. This is what they told us.  

With the provincial election a couple of weeks away, Doctors of BC has made sure that our political leaders don’t lose sight of what is on the minds of doctors and patients. Recent polling confirms that health care is one of the most important election issues for British Columbians and all the party platforms appear to illustrate the same. But which party is going to deliver real change and transform health care alongside physician leaders in the years to come?  

We asked David Eby (NDP), John Rustad (Conservatives), and Sonia Furstenau (Greens) a series of questions on camera, based on our election priority strategy Temperature Rising, that outline many of the challenges you and your patients are experiencing in our health care system. Here are their recorded responses, along with the questions we asked: 

Videos and questions 

1- Watch all interviews in full – each party leader answering all five questions in the same video. 

2- Watch each party leader answer all five questions in one video – choose from David Eby (NDP), John Rustad (Conservatives), and Sonia Furstenau (Greens).  

3- Watch the party leaders answer each of the five questions in separate videos: 

• What are your party's priorities for the health care system in BC and what role do physicians play? 

• If elected, what would you do to address the shortage of doctors and other health care providers in BC? 

• If elected, what would you do to help specialists tackle their waitlists and ensure patients have more timely access to consultation and procedural care? 

• How would you ensure BC is investing the appropriate amount of money when it comes to health care technology and infrastructure? 

• What does your party intend to do to address health care challenges in rural communities? 

We hope you take the time to view these videos and gain some valuable perspective ahead of the election on October 19. While a great deal of work has been accomplished in recent years, some major health system challenges persist. It is critical that a commitment for real and ongoing investment and change in our health care system is forthcoming by the political party forming government this month.