Depends on what you are measuring, Smaphilisto.

The operating budget has been in surplus the past few years.   The debt keeps rising because they are spending more money on capital expenditures than the amortization on their existing asset base (school buildings, hospital buildings, roads et al)

The debt could be less, but that would mean less/different spending priorities.

As for them choosing -- they follow Public Sector Accounting Board standards -- standards that are set on a cross-government basis -- aka GAAP.  GAAP has been followed by BC governments since the mid 90s.

The accounting for the self-supporting crown corporations is another thing altogether.