The writs have been issued for British Columbia’s 43rd Provincial General Election, Saturday, October 19.
The incumbent BC New Democratic Party and the Conservative Party of BC enter the election in a statistical tie, according to a poll by BC based Research Co.
Forty-four per cent of decided BC voters plan to vote for the NDP candidate in their riding, while 42 per cent would support the Conservatives.
Since Research Co.s last survey in July, and before Official Opposition leader Kevin Falcon suspended the BC United campaign, support is three points higher for the BC New Democrats and increased four points for the BC Conservatives.
The BC Green Party is third across the province with 10 per cent.
Three per cent of decided voters would vote for an independent candidate or another party.
The NDP is supported by 47 per cent of women and has 51 per cent of decided voters among voters aged 55 and over.
The BC Conservatives lead among men at at 48 per cent, and have 46 per cent of voters between the ages of 35 and 54.
The race is close among decided voters from 18 to 34 years old – 40 per cent for the NDP and 39 per cent for the Conservatives.
On Vancouver Island, the New Democrats are first place with 44 per cent of decided voters, that climbs 50 per cent in Metro Vancouver, while the Conservatives lead in the Fraser Valley, Southern BC, and in Northern BC.
On Vancouver Island the Green Party is supported by 18 per cent of decided voters.
Research Co. found little has changed over the past two months on the issues of greatest concern.
More than two-in-five British Columbians say housing, homelessness and poverty is the most prevalent concern facing the province, followed by health care, the economy and jobs, crime and public safety and the environment.
Meanwhile, the approval of Canadians for their premiers done by Angus Reid Institute shows Premier David Eby’s rating has received a mall boost to 46 per cent, his average over the past two years.
ARI says Eby’s high-profile policy changes have not negatively impacted perception at this point despite the opposition labelling Eby as a “flip-flopper.”
The premier recently floated the idea of ending the provincial consumer carbon tax if the federal mandate is removed in the future, and taxing the big polluters. The provincial government announced a week ago it is now implementing mandatory treatment of those with severe mental health and addictions issues.
