The Conservative Party of B.C. campaign took on a whole new shape this week with Wednesday's shocking announcement that the rival B.C. United party was packing it in.

But as leader John Rustad works to maximize his political advantage, one thing remains very much unchanged: growing B.C.'s economy out of its current financial hole is still the party's top priority.

"There is a lot of policy that we have yet to announce, obviously," Rustad said. "We are going to be announcing that in due course when we get closer to the election. But obviously, on Day One, our first priority is going to be to get our head around the budget."

Rustad made these comments Thursday just over 24 hours after United's Kevin Falcon announced his party would be suspending its campaign. For many, that decision reduced the Oct. 19 election race to a choice between the Conservatives and the governing New Democrats under Premier David Eby. And it brought more sharply into focus questions about what a vote for the Conservatives would mean.

Rustad said his first cabinet meeting will include an order-in-council to extend the permits of three existing natural gas pipelines. 

"I want the opportunity for us to be able to have more LNG projects in B.C.," he said. "I don't want to have incur that cost and time and lose that opportunity to be able to export additional natural gas," he said. 

Rustad has also promised to accelerate permitting and develop additional growth through corporate and personal tax cuts.

Promises of more natural resource development will likely not assuage those who have accused the Conservatives of ignoring the environment in face of wildfires and droughts linked to climate change.

On Thursday, he told CBC Radio that his perspective on that has not changed. Humans have "contributed to climate change" but it is "not a crisis level," he said. "There are many more things that I think are far more important," he said, pointing to the cost of housing and groceries.

He cited an Angus Reid poll published in June. It finds that one in three residents are 鈥渟eriously鈥� consider leaving the province. That figure rises to one in two among British Columbians aged 18 to 34. 

Rustad echoed those statements and figures to Black Press Media. He said his government would focus on adapting B.C. to a changing climate, pointing to plans announced last November that call for the doubling of domestic food production in B.C.

Rustad said B.C.'s heavy reliance on food imports 鈥� he says two-thirds of food comes from abroad 鈥� makes the province vulnerable. Rustad added his government would also do a better job of managing and storing water to ensure its availability for humans and agriculture and focus on ensuring B.C.'s infrastructure is able to withstand the changing climate. 

Rustad also confirmed that his government would eliminate carbon taxation. 

"Taxing people into poverty is not going to change the weather," he said, adding that ending B.C.'s carbon tax would return much-needed money into the pockets of British Columbians. 

Ending the carbon tax would create a shortfall of $3.5 billion that would have to be addressed elsewhere in the budget.

"We will be obviously looking in the reduction of spending that is associated with the carbon tax to help offset that revenue loss," he said. "There is a whole bunch of things, quite frankly, that I think are very suspect."

"But having said that, obviously, the spending that is supported by the revenue from the carbon tax would not be able to carry forward. So that is the first place that we will look. There are many other things that we need to look at, but at the end of the day, I'm not interested coming in and just doing a carte (blanche) reduction in government spending." 

In fact, Rustad said his government plans to increase spending 鈥� at least initially 鈥� in health care as part of his party's proposed transition toward a European-style health care system.

"Spending will have to increase because we have a huge backlog in terms of wait times and the need to be able to do the transition," he said. "It's going to take time." 

The proposed model would preserve universal access "like it is today" but services would be "delivered by both government and non-government agencies" and shift funding from the system to patients, Rustad said. 

Rustad combined his broad economic promises with a concession that his government would not balance the budget during its first term. 

"The goal will be...to strengthen our economy, strengthen the revenues from that and to try to grow our way out of the problem by the end of a second term," he said. 

Looking at a future legislative agenda, Rustad promised a "relatively heavy" spring session in 2025, if elected, and a "very heavy legislative calendar" through the fall of 2025 into the fall of 2026. 

"I'm not going to give hints in terms of what is going to be first, but the general gist in spring 2025 will be to undo some of things that are causing all kinds of pain and issues here in British Columbia, plus the taxation legislation and a number of other things," he said. 

Pieces on the chopping block include environmental regulations that have raised the cost of housing and short-term rental legislation, he said.

A future Rustad government would also replace SOGI 123 with what he called "anti-bullying and support" legislation in consultation with the education and 2SLGBTQI+ communities; roll back decriminalization entirely; and end B.C.'s safe supply program while building up "significant capacities" when it comes to treating individuals with addictions. 

"We haven't costed that out at this point yet," he said asked about the latter pledge.

Rustad acknowledged it is not clear yet which sitting B.C. United MLAs and candidates will join his party. 

"That is unknown at this stage," he said. "We are still in discussions between the two parties." 

He underscored his beliefe time is of the essence.

"It's 51 days, three hours, four minutes and 25 seconds to go until the election," he said.