A recent Angus Reid poll reveals that the Conservative Party of British Columbia has opened a 10-point lead over the governing New Democrats, despite lacking a permanent leader since John Rustad's resignation last year. The party is set to elect a new leader at the end of May.
Polling data from December 2024 onward shows the New Democrats and Conservatives consistently competing for voter support, with both parties in the low 40s and never more than three percentage points apart. However, the latest numbers indicate the Conservatives have 46 percent support among decided or leaning voters, while the NDP has dropped to 36 percent.
Support for NDP Premier David Eby has also declined sharply, falling from 53 percent in March 2025 to just 33 percent today. The poll also examined public opinion on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which all five Conservative leadership hopefuls have pledged to repeal if they form government.
Enacted in 2019, DRIPA aligns provincial laws with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and requires an action plan developed with Indigenous communities. The legislation has proven controversial and unpopular, with 47 percent of British Columbians supporting its repeal, including 26 percent of those who voted NDP in the 2024 provincial election.
The poll also found a sharp divide on reconciliation efforts: 41 percent said the province has done enough, while 34 percent believe much more is needed, and 17 percent said a little more is required. Eight percent were unsure.
Additionally, 55 percent of respondents rated Eby's handling of Aboriginal land rights and private property rights as bad or very bad, a figure that rose to 83 percent among Conservative voters. Confusion persists over whether DRIPA allows First Nations to veto land development, with 39 percent saying yes, 26 percent no, and 35 percent unsure.
Regarding economic impact, 51 percent believe the province would be worse off under DRIPA, increasing to 60 percent among those familiar with the legislation. The poll noted that Eby had proposed suspending DRIPA for up to three years in April but backed down after criticism from First Nations leaders.
Eby acknowledged the difficulty, stating, "This has been, if I can speak frankly, probably the most challenging issue I've worked on in government." The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey from April 24 to 28 among 804 adult B.C. residents, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points 19 times out of 20.
