B.C. NDP Leader David Eby is defending his plan to increase taxes on high-income earners, saying the additional revenue would help strengthen health-care services as the provincial election campaign focuses heavily on the province’s health-care challenges. Eby announced that, if re-elected, his government would introduce a new tax bracket for people earning more than $1 million a year and increase rates on two existing high-income brackets. The proposed changes would take effect in the 2027 tax year. Under the plan, income above $1 million would be taxed at 24.5 per cent. The portion of income between $265,545 and $1 million would face a 22.5 per cent rate, while income between $190,405 and $265,545 would be taxed at 18.8 per cent. The NDP says the changes would affect less than four per cent of B.C. earners and are projected to generate about $225 million in 2026-27, rising to roughly $1 billion annually in later years. Eby said the additional revenue would help fund health-care priorities, including support for seniors. His campaign has promised free shingles vaccinations for adults aged 50 and older and immunocompromised adults, along with 500 additional health-care workers to provide more direct support to seniors. The NDP also plans to expand virtual health-care services in long-term care homes, increase access to nurse practitioners and pharmacy services, and move forward with seven long-term-care projects that had previously been paused. The B.C. Conservatives have strongly criticized the tax proposal, arguing that it could make it harder for the province to recruit and retain doctors and medical specialists. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has described the proposal as a tax that could affect the very health professionals B.C. is trying to attract.The Conservatives have instead promised to maintain health-care funding at approved 2026 levels and make health care the first priority in each provincial budget. Their plan includes a $50-million emergency fund aimed at helping rural medical practices prevent closures and improve recruitment. The party has also proposed prioritizing B.C. students for medical training, speeding up credential recognition for doctors trained elsewhere in Canada and increasing staffing flexibility to reduce emergency-room and maternity-ward closures. Meanwhile, the B.C. Green Party has proposed a separate wealth-tax plan targeting people with net wealth above $50 million. The Greens say the revenue would be used for programs including universal child care, free public transit and affordable housing. With the Oct. 24 provincial election approaching, health care and taxation have emerged as major issues in the campaign. The competing proposals highlight significant differences among the major parties over how B.C. should raise revenue and address pressures facing its public health-care system.