During this fall’s snap election campaign, UBI Works is asking every candidate and party in British Columbia where they stand on basic income — and inviting them to pledge to work toward it if elected. Our BC basic income pledge campaign lets you send the ask directly to your MLA, local council, and MP.

The BC NDP responded to our outreach in writing on October 15, 2026, which you can read in full below:

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BC NDP
320 - 34 W 7th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 1L6
Sent via email

October 15, 2026

Floyd Marinescu
UBI Works

Re: Basic Income, UBI Works

Dear Floyd Marinescu,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the BC NDP during this critical moment for British Columbians. We appreciate the opportunity to respond by way of this letter, and hope that the information provided helps provide you with clarity during the election season.

People should be able to build a good life here – with a paycheque that helps you get ahead. In 2018, we commissioned an expert panel on basic income to make recommendations on covering the basic needs of all British Columbians. The panel finished its report with recommendations in 2020. And we have been doing that work.

The panel recommended targeted basic incomes for youth aging out of foster care and adults with disabilities, overhauling income assistance, expanding access to extended health services, and improving housing and rent supports. We:

• Implemented comprehensive support for former youth in care, including unconditional income support up to $1,250 per month, rent supplements, health coverage, and tuition waivers.
• Made five increases to income and disability rates– the largest by any BC government.
• Increased earning exemptions 3X so people on income and disability assistance take home more pay.
• Increased funding for senior's housing supplements and rental assistance, and added a refundable renter's tax credit up to $400.
• Eliminated Medical Service Premiums and expanded coverage for medicines and treatments.

Our commitment is to build BC strong: create more jobs and opportunity here, strengthen our healthcare and protect people from rising costs. We will continue to focus on meeting the basic needs of every British Columbian, by:

• Keeping housing costs down and freeing up more homes. Under David Eby's plan, starting rents are down more than 10%, and have been falling 27 months in a row.
• Cutting prices at the pump by up to 30¢ per litre by cracking down on the big oil companies' corporate gouging and suspending part of the fuel tax – up to $20 saved on every tank of gas.
• Taking on the grocery giants and capping their profit margins on essentials like milk, eggs, cheese, butter, and poultry to save you money at the till.
• Extending the ICBC rate freeze three more years – for a full decade of frozen rates.

The conservative parties would give tax breaks to the wealthiest, paid for by hiking costs on working people. People can't afford that, especially now.

• They'd scrap our changes at ICBC – doubling the cost of car insurance with an Alberta-style system.
• They would cancel David's housing plan that's bringing down rents and let speculators back into the market, sending home and rental prices skyrocketing again.

And when conservatives were last in power they froze income assistance rates for a decade. If they get the chance, they would make deep cuts to the basic supports that people depend on.

Thank you again for the opportunity to share our priorities with you.

-End-

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Read the original letter (PDF)