The provincial legislature will look different when it resumes sitting on Oct. 3, after Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman crossed the floor from BC United to the Conservative Party of BC on Wednesday.
BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision gives the once-morbid party two seats in the legislature, official party status and momentum, according to its leader.
B次元官网网址淭his is historic,B次元官网网址� John Rustad said. B次元官网网址淭o the best of my knowledge, there has never been four official parties in the legislature in British Columbia.B次元官网网址�
Rustad, who left the BC Liberals in February prior to their name change to BC United, said the Conservative party is trying to build a grassroots-movement, whose policies respond to the day-to-day struggles of average British Columbians. BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision to join Rustad draws attention to that agenda.
B次元官网网址淚 think that has played into what Bruce was looking for,B次元官网网址� Rustad said, adding that a long conversation in early August led to BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision.
Voters elected Banman to the provincial legislature in 2020 with 44 per cent of the vote under the banner of the BC Liberals, now BC United. BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision to depart its caucus gives the Conservatives two seats in the legislature, enough for official party status and additional resources.
Banman said he joined the BC Conservatives because Rustad promised to speak for his constituents in an open and transparent manner that best reflects their local interests.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity for actual true change and it excites me and thatB次元官网网址檚 why I came over,B次元官网网址� Banman said.
Banman, who served as mayor of Abbotsford from 2011 to 2014, said his new party is the B次元官网网址渙nly party that stands for whatB次元官网网址檚 right in the legislature, rather than whatB次元官网网址檚 politically convenient or politically correct.B次元官网网址� He further said the party reflects the true spirit of democracy that attracted his Mennonite ancestors as well as immigrants from Holland and IndiaB次元官网网址檚 Punjab to the Fraser Valley.
Banman said in an earlier statement that the Conservative party possesses common sense.
B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 support Trudeau-backed policies like the punishing carbon tax that hurts everyday people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址�(We) refuse to condone the ideological NDP education agenda that teaches students what to think instead of how to think (and) we will never support the myth of safe supply that kills British Columbians and poisons our communities with hard drugs.B次元官网网址�
The Office of the Clerk confirmed the B.C. Conservative Caucus will be the fourth party, adding that no four parties with official status as defined by the provincial constitution have ever sat in the provincial legislature. Elections in 1924, 1952 and 1972 had awarded seats to four parties, but the concept of officially recognized political parties did not appear until 1979.
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If the consequences of BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision to cross the floor appear historic, they could also have significant consequences for the future.
Polls show New Democrats have a sizable lead in popular opinion and a clear path toward a majority government in terms of seats. With BC United trailing by a fair margin, a revived Conservative Party of BC could further cement a New Democratic victory in the next provincial election to be held on or before Oct. 19, 2024. Premier David Eby has publicly ruled out an election prior to October 2024.
Banman does not see it that way. BC United Leader Kevin Falcon B次元官网网址� not he and Rustad B次元官网网址� are weakening the right, Banman said.
B次元官网网址淜evin Falcon is the one who started the split,B次元官网网址� Banman said. B次元官网网址淗e says he is for a big-tent party, but I guess he really didnB次元官网网址檛 mean it.B次元官网网址�
BanmanB次元官网网址檚 defection is the second under FalconB次元官网网址檚 leadership. Rustad sat as an independent MLA for several months after Falcon had kicked him out of the caucus because of disagreements over climate change policy before officially joining the Conservatives in February 2023 and winning their leadership. BanmanB次元官网网址檚 decision to defect also changes RustadB次元官网网址檚 official designation in the legislature.
Falcon said Wednesday morning in a statement that BanmanB次元官网网址檚 departure was not entirely unexpected and accused him of betraying his local constituents who elected him under the Liberal banner. Falcon said his party is the only party which can defeat the current government.
B次元官网网址淥bviously you donB次元官网网址檛 like to have these kinds of things happen, but they do happen,B次元官网网址� Falcon said later at a news conference. B次元官网网址淏ut I would just remind you, just as I reminded Bruce, to look at the history of the MLAs that have done this in the past in British ColumbiaB次元官网网址n every single case (it) ended up to be political suicide.B次元官网网址�
Falcon said he is already fielding calls for candidates wishing to take BanmanB次元官网网址檚 place as candidate, while trying to down play the ConservativesB次元官网网址� official party status. Falcon added he does not think other members of his caucus will follow BanmanB次元官网网址檚 example.
But Falcon also acknowledged that the provincial Conservatives B次元官网网址� which are not related to the federal Conservatives B次元官网网址� might benefit from the current surge that the federal Conservatives are enjoying.
Questioned about the consequences of his partyB次元官网网址檚 decision to change names, Falcon said that while it will take some for the public to get used to BC United. It reflects the fact that the challenges facing British Columbia require a collective effort, he added.
The emergence of another party on the right side of the political spectrum in B.C. mirrors developments in other countries where right-of-centre parties face competition on their right flank from populist parties. Many of those parties have been critical of COVID-19 related measures and policies to fight climate change, and the NDPB次元官网网址檚 reaction to BanmanB次元官网网址檚 defection is telling.
B次元官网网址淭he BC Conservatives are a party born of anti-science ideas like opposing vaccine requirements and denying climate change,B次元官网网址� Ravi Parmar, BC NDP MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca, said. B次元官网网址淎t a time when our province has seen back-to-back-to-back extreme weather events, the BC Conservatives are the only party opposed to essential emission reduction measures such as the carbon tax. Most British Columbians trust the science of climate change and vaccines. John Rustad and Bruce Banman are out of step with those values.B次元官网网址�
Banman dismissed the criticism as partisanship. B次元官网网址淨uestioning is the hallmark of science,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 just base-line politics as far as IB次元官网网址檓 concerned. They are entitled to their opinion.B次元官网网址�
BC Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau said BC Conservatives should have the resources that official party status brings.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 an important part of democracy,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淩ecognizing the role of official parties in the legislature is important and essential, as it reflects the representation that parties provide to the people of BC. We should always be striving to make our democracy work better, and so my hope is that with more official parties in the legislature, we will see constructive debate, cooperation across party lines and effective representation for all British Columbians.B次元官网网址�
Not surprisingly, both Rustad and Banman are publicly optimistic about their prospects. Rustad said the party is planning to run candidates in all 93 ridings with the goal of forming government. B次元官网网址淭he goal is to win, but I see us as the official opposition, if not government,B次元官网网址� Banman said.
-with files from Jessica Peters
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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