Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson says a future B.C. government would replace the province’s no-fault ICBC system with a hybrid model, while the NDP argues the proposal could put affordable auto insurance at risk.
October 6, 2026 VANCOUVER, B.C. — A major dispute over British Columbia’s auto insurance system has emerged in the final weeks of the provincial election campaign, with Conservative Party of B.C. Leader Lorne Doerkson promising to replace the province’s no-fault ICBC model and the NDP accusing him of making commitments that could increase insurance costs.
The dispute intensified after a September 29 letter signed by Doerkson and addressed to representatives of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch.
In the letter, Doerkson said a Conservative government would introduce legislation during its first year in office to replace the current no-fault system with a hybrid insurance model.
“Accident victims will get back their right to recover for their serious injuries,” Doerkson wrote in the letter.
He said the proposed hybrid system would maintain affordable insurance while providing greater legal recourse for people seriously injured by reckless drivers.
The Conservative proposal would also leave open the possibility of private competition in auto insurance.
“Everything’s on the table, including opening auto insurance to private competition,” Doerkson wrote.
The Conservatives argue that people seriously injured in collisions should have access to independent courts rather than being limited to the current administrative system.
Doerkson also promised to repeal changes to the Legal Professions Act introduced by the NDP government in 2024, arguing that those changes undermined the independence and self-governance of the legal profession.
The NDP, meanwhile, has attacked the Conservative proposal and accused Doerkson of making commitments to personal-injury lawyers that he has not publicly acknowledged.
In its October 6 response, the NDP said Doerkson denied making promises when questioned by reporters, despite the commitments contained in his letter.
The NDP also cited an Ernst & Young analysis that it says shows Alberta drivers pay substantially more for auto insurance under a comparable system.
The Conservatives reject the characterization that their plan would simply increase insurance costs. Their letter specifically states that the proposed hybrid model would be designed to keep rates affordable while restoring legal rights for people seriously injured in collisions.
The dispute therefore centres on two competing priorities: maintaining affordable insurance for the broad driving population while restoring greater legal rights for people suffering serious injuries.
The Conservative Party says it would develop the legislation with lawyers, insurers, ICBC, healthcare providers, civil-liberties and injury-rights groups, as well as taxpayer advocates.
With the provincial election approaching, auto insurance is emerging as another major dividing line between the two parties.
The NDP is defending its existing no-fault model and arguing that Conservative changes could increase costs for drivers. The Conservatives say the existing system has gone too far in restricting the rights of seriously injured people.
British Columbians will ultimately decide which approach they prefer when they vote in the provincial election.
Editorial note
This article is based on campaign releases and the September 29 letter supplied to StudioX News. Claims made by either political party are attributed to the respective party.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
