B.C. Conservatives release full platform [Video]

A costed policy platform delivered by the B.C. Conservatives in the final days of the province’s election campaign includes promises to kick start the economy and balance the books with forecasts of economic growth of more than five per cent, but only after several years of multi-billion-dollar deficit budgets.

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said Tuesday that if elected on Oct. 19, his party’s plans for economic reforms and tax cuts would produce a balanced budget at some point during a second term in office.

But he said his first budget would include a deficit forecast nearing $11 billion, which is higher than the approximately $9.6 billion deficit forecast by both the New Democrats and the Greens under their plans.

“I’m not going to be coming in and being draconian and say there should be cuts,” he said at a news conference at the University of B.C. campus. “We want …