A statement by ICBA Chief Economist Jock Finlayson on the 2026 Conservative Party of B.C. platform and costing: "The costed Conservative platform looks reasonable. It is a balanced plan, recognizing that there is much that affects the B.C. economy which is beyond the government’s control.     "The Conservatives intend to take a gradualist approach to deficit reduction, which makes sense given the depth of the fiscal hole Premier Eby has dug and the fragile state of the economy. An important element of fiscal strategy under a new government will be kick-starting the private sector, which has been languishing over the past several years while the broad public sector has continued to expand. The private sector accounts for at least three quarters of all economic activity – including employment – in British Columbia; it also provides the exports and drives the innovation on which living standards partly depend. Under the NDP, the priority has been increasing the size and reach of the public sector, even as large parts of the business community have been struggling or in outright decline.    "A healthier business climate and a stronger private sector economy will help to address B.C.’s difficult fiscal situation by bolstering economic growth and expanding the tax base."