Why This BC MLA Says NWT’s System of Independent Representation Is Best

Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy. Legislative Assembly of B.C.

Independent B.C. MLA Jordan Kealy left party politics this past March and says it’s been the right decision for him and his riding.

With the ongoing turmoil in B.C.’s legislature, the former B.C. Conservative MLA says party politics in the province needs to change, and points to the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) and their system of independent representation as an example B.C. could follow.

The N.W.T. legislative system, similar to Nunavut, elects one MLA from each of the territory’s 19 districts, with the premier, speaker, and members of the cabinet chosen by MLAs once elected through their own choice, rather than along party lines. Kealy said this is beneficial for residents and relevant for B.C., where he says many rural ridings are subordinated to the interests of metro areas.

“When the MLAs campaign, they make promises to their constituents, and that changes when the MLAs get into the parties and the parties then tell them what to do,” Kealy said in an interview with The Epoch Times.

“When you look at the rural areas, the MLAs normally get pushed aside and the concerns of their constituents get pushed aside, and the focus of the big parties will be in the main urban areas.”

Kealy, who was elected in last fall’s provincial election, says that provincial and federal politics often prevent effective diplomacy from taking place. He also points to areas where voters don’t get a direct say, such as in the election of premier.

“Most people, when they vote, they think that they’re voting for a premier, but they’re not. You’re voting for a person in the party, and then the party membership elects a leader,” he said.

Kealy and fellow MLA Tara Armstrong left the B.C. Conservatives this past March to sit as an independent, following former leader John Rustad’s ejection of Dallas Brodie from the party over comments she made about residential schools.

Brodie and Armstrong formed the OneBC Party in June, while Kealy decided to remain independent and support proposals on a case-by-case basis. Recent internal disputes in OneBC have led to the party splitting, with Brodie and Armstrong no longer caucusing together.

Meanwhile, the B.C. Conservatives are being led by interim leader Trevor Halford following Rustad’s resignation amid an internal revolt on Dec. 4.

The governing NDP holds a razor-thin majority with 47 seats in the B.C. legislature. The B.C. Conservatives hold 39 seats, the B.C. Green Party has two MLAs, and there are five independents. In addition to Brodie, Armstrong, and Kealy, former B.C. Conservatives Amelia Boultbee and Elenore Sturko also sit as independents.

“I think that more and more people are being becoming very frustrated with the current system,” Kealy said, citing upheaval among the B.C. Liberal party that led to its rebranding as BC United, followed by turmoil and internal conflict within the Conservative Party.

“Then we just see the collapse of another party [OneBC]. There’s obviously some major issues,” he said.

Kealy acknowledges that it may not be realistic for the party system to disappear. In the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election, there was pressure by the business community on the right-leaning parties—the B.C. Conservatives and B.C. United—to join forces in an effort to defeat the governing NDP, which they came close to doing but ultimately fell short. The challenge is compounded by the fact that historically, very few independent politicians have been able to win re-election without a party brand. Kealy says that, in principle, a coalition of independent MLAs can be an effective way to get things done, without being whipped into obedience by a single leader.

“You could have a coalition of independents that can do the same thing [defeating the opposition], except they’re unfiltered, they’re not whipped, and they’re a direct link to their constituents.”

As for the B.C. Conservatives, Kealy said he’s open to reconsidering his independent status if they elect somebody he feels can represent the interests of the province.

“If they bring in a leader that wants to turn the party around and actually make a difference, then I might reassess what that looks like,” he said.