The BC Liberal Party had long been a unique entity in Canada. It separated itself from the federal Liberal Party in the late 1980s and evolved into a conservative-leaning party in the 1990s to counter the BC NDP. The BC Liberals were typically only Liberal in name when they came to power and governed from the centre-right from 2001 until 2017. Since losing power in the 2017 election, the BC Liberals have been adrift while the NDP sits in a majority government.
Andrew Wilkinson resigned as the BC Liberal leader after suffering electoral defeat in the 2020 general election. Kevin Falcon was elected as the new leader in February 2022 with a platform calling to rename and rebrand the party. The party did indeed succeed in changing its name but the new brand isn’t resonating with B.C. voters. A large segment of the party’s base was alienated as party operators made it clear they weren’t interested in a big tent when they disqualified leadership contender Aaron Gunn from the race.
Gunn is a well-known activist and documentarian in B.C. He is unapologetically conservative but could hardly be considered extreme. He certainly represented a significant segment of the party base, and it wasn’t unreasonable to let him run.
Leadership races are opportunities for parties to not only select a leader but also to get a solid measure of where the party membership wants to go. The results can guide a new leader as they know which elements of the party will need outreach and representation. The small-c conservative BC United members never got the chance to express themselves as their candidate was disqualified before they could vote. Kevin Falcon didn’t realize the amount of support he was set to lose as he pulled the party to the left as part of his rebranding efforts. He surely is beginning to understand now, though.
Party executive members can embrace a sense of arrogance at times when they think there isn’t much competition on the field. They wrongly assume members won’t leave them when they have been disrespected. The Conservative Party, currently led by Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, hadn’t been a contender in B.C. in generations. The BC Liberals gave them a gift and a surge in support as aggrieved members swelled the previously modest ranks of the BC Conservatives.
The swing in support has gone beyond just internal party politics. Public support for BC United is collapsing in general. How can voters trust a party that won’t even respect its membership?
B.C. is governed by the NDP, a very progressive party by nature. Voters need a counterpoint to the NDP. They want a reasonable conservative alternative—not a mushy centrist party that flirts with elements of woke culture and bans conservative leadership candidates. If people want that kind of governance, they will stick to the NDP.
B.C. is finally seeing some clarity in the name of its alternative party. There is no longer a conservative party sitting under a liberal moniker. There is a conservative party called the Conservative Party and voters are gravitating toward it. The open honesty about who they are and what they stand for is refreshing.
Political wonks vote based on policy alone but they are in the minority. The biggest determining factor with electors when it comes to how they mark their ballot comes down to trust. They want to know the party that will represent them is being honest and will act accordingly. Nobody is quite sure what BC United stands for aside from a desire to take power. In alienating a large segment of its base, the party is not off to a good start in rebranding and winning a sense of trust from voters.
The BC Conservatives are still a long way from unseating the incumbent NDP, but they are clearly on the right track. They will continue their upward trajectory as long as they respect their base and, by extension, the electorate.
