Doerkson says voters “chose change” as B.C. Conservatives move to form government

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BC premier-designate Lorne Doerkson said Sunday he was “deeply humbled” by his party’s election victory and told supporters the province “chose change.” Speaking at his first official news conference after election day, Doerkson said British Columbians “placed their trust in us,” adding that it must be “earned back every single day.”

Doerkson said the BC Conservatives’ win was projected to produce a majority government with 64 seats, a total no party had surpassed since the BC Liberals won 77 seats in 2001. He also pointed to the election’s turnout, citing preliminary Elections BC figures showing 48 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots—below 50 per cent for the first time in recent provincial history described in the report.

The outgoing premier, David Eby, called the election less than two years into his mandate, initially citing the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs before shifting the campaign’s emphasis to affordability. Doerkson said affordability and the economy will be central to his agenda, describing “serious times” in which “people are stretched” and “the economy has stalled.”

Doerkson, who previously served as a backbench MLA, became interim leader of the BC Conservatives heading into the election after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned amid numerous departures. On Sunday, he said he has spoken with Lt. Gov. Wendy Cocchia and named Kim Henderson as chair of the government’s transition team.

Doerkson said his government will launch an independent review of the province’s finances on day one to “know where things stand” and provide residents with a “full picture” before a budget is tabled. He also reiterated that within the first 100 days an expert commission would look into keeping emergency rooms open and cutting wait times.

As his first priority, Doerkson said he wants to raise the basic personal exemption to $32,000, which he said amounts to about $1,000 a year “back in the pocket” for working British Columbians.

When asked about Trump reposting on Truth Social after the election, Doerkson said, “I’m an ally to British Columbia,” and said the focus of his government would be to “supercharge our economy” and support industries that “will protect us against these attacks.”

Doerkson also addressed questions about his position on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). He said he is committed to working with First Nations as premier but argued that DRIPA “has not worked in this province” and has “caused more problems to date than I think potentially anything else.”

Other political leaders also weighed in. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew congratulated Doerkson and thanked Eby for friendship over the past few years, but cautioned that BC election results “should concern every elected politician and every consultant,” saying the responsibility “isn’t to be played with.”

Doerkson said a date for when his government will be sworn in has not yet been announced. He also did not say whether there would be a fall session, though he did not rule it out. During the news conference, he did not provide a specific timeline for an eventual leadership race, describing the matter as an “administrative detail” and saying information would be provided “imminently.”