BC Political Discussion: Election 2024 & 43rd Parliament

[madog222]

We're still a few months away from the election being called but I think we may as well start the new thread now.
There have been a number of stories recently regarding BC United and the Conservatives that will directly play into the election.

[RedArbutus]

Roger that.

Rustad's press conference starts in one hour. Jas Johal is reporting that Doerkson was pressured by his riding association to flip as they want the best chance possible to beat the NDP. Allegedly when they threatened to support the Conservative candidate, he caved.

https://twitter.com/JasJohalBC/status/1796580773228876129

[BaddieB]

Newest poll by Angus Reid (sample of 1203) shows NDP 41, BCC 30, BCU 16, Greens 11 among decideds and leaning. 11 point lead for the NDP. Middle date May 26.

https://angusreid.org/bc-election-may-2024/

[Migrant_Coconut]

Caller...: I'd like to ask Mr. Rustad. Will you follow suit with respect to what the government's doing currently, dictating to communities what they look like, what they have to build, what they can use it for, like Airbnb, telling somebody that they can go and build a six-unit apartment building next door to my single-family rancher? Will you follow suit with that?

Rustad: So those are all legislation that the NDP has brought in. I would repeal all of that. Now we want to work with communities around densification, we got to do that, but it has to be through proper process. And we elect municipal councillors and mayors for a reason...

... There's no plans for parking, there's no plans for traffic problems, there's no plans for water and sewer, there's no plans for parks, there's no plans for playgrounds or schools, or any the rest of that kind of stuff. And you're overriding municipal councillors. You're taking away the democratic right and the democratic vote. And you're overriding official community plans, you're not even allowing public hearings on the issues. This is crazy. This just shouldn't be happening.

Link

And there go the Conservative's chances of ever winning this election. They've effectively locked themselves out of anywhere in the metro that's not West Van, Delta or Quilchena.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

And there go the Conservative's chances of ever winning this election. They've effectively locked themselves out of anywhere in the metro that's not West Van, Delta or Quilchena.

I doubt that's an issue that would tip many who actually vote. More likely the crazy will start to show through on some of their candidates the more scrutiny the BC Cons get.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I doubt that's an issue that would tip many who actually vote. More likely the crazy will start to show through on some of their candidates the more scrutiny the BC Cons get.

Maybe. By the same token, I doubt it'll galvanize enough reactionaries to move the needle either - openly right-wing NIMBY candidates keep getting locked out of the city elections.

[seamusmcduff]

Responding to the comments from rustad brought up in the last thread where he said that he would undo all the NDP housing reforms, as a someone on the tail end of millennials myself, I can't understand why any young person would vote for the bc conservatives. Even if you support or don't care about their social views, their views on housing is clearly to return to the status quo which will result in housing continuing to get worse. The only people that that benefits is existing home owners, which the majority of young people are not. And even that benefit is questionable given the impact on the economy and essential/service workers, which will negatively impact the quality of life of home owners.

The NDP under Eby have made bold changes to reform housing that have never really been seen before in North America, and if we want to make sure they have an impact they will need to be in place for a few years before they have any effect. I hope Eby isn't voted out because voters don't realize that these changes will take a while to make their way through the development process and actually impact our housing supply. Eby can't do anything about the amount of people moving to this province, so he's putting his thumb on the only part of the scale that he can.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I doubt that's an issue that would tip many who actually vote. More likely the crazy will start to show through on some of their candidates the more scrutiny the BC Cons get.

I'm guessing we're going to see more and more stories like this come out, as BC United ramps up their background gathering operations. And what's concerning is Rustad's response to Scrase's horrible comments:

Rustad, in an interview, refused to distance himself from Scrase’s homophobic posts or say if he disagreed with them.

“I have no comment further with regards to what he actually said,” said Rustad.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

Roger that.

Rustad's press conference starts in one hour. Jas Johal is reporting that Doerkson was pressured by his riding association to flip as they want the best chance possible to beat the NDP. Allegedly when they threatened to support the Conservative candidate, he caved.

https://twitter.com/JasJohalBC/status/1796580773228876129

Looks like Jas Johal jumped the gun. He's now tweeting...

"NEW - It looks like the BC Conservatives had a candidate profile created for B.C. United MLA Lorne Doerkson under the assumption he would/is crossing the floor.

Someone who read bio said it stated he crossed the floor in the spring of 2024. It’s been taken down. "

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Looks like Jas Johal jumped the gun. He's now tweeting...

"NEW - It looks like the BC Conservatives had a candidate profile created for B.C. United MLA Lorne Doerkson under the assumption he would/is crossing the floor.

Someone who read bio said it stated he crossed the floor in the spring of 2024. It’s been taken down. "

We'll see! According to Richard Zussman, Doerkson's belongings have been moved out of his office.

Edit: It's official!

Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, has joined the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

“Today, I am making a change because I believe this upcoming election is simply too consequential,” said Doerkson. “I have spent countless hours listening to my constituents in the recent months. The response has been overwhelming. The residents of Cariboo-Chilcotin want to see David Eby defeated and they want to see a common sense Conservative government in Victoria,” he continued.

“I look forward to working with John Rustad and the Conservative team. Whether it is axing the carbon tax, revitalizing our resource sector or reforming our broken healthcare system, it’s never been more clear that BC needs a common sense government.”

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

I'm guessing we're going to see more and more stories like this come out, as BC United ramps up their background gathering operations. And what's concerning is Rustad's response to Scrase's horrible comments:

Yep, Rustad and the Cons have had an easy media ride so far. Even with the reduced state of the traditional media that will change as the election campaign approaches.

[BaddieB]

If more United MLAs jump ship, then that wouldn't make for good optics for the Cons being "different" from United.

If it is a close race come October, I wonder how Green voters will act.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

If more United MLAs jump ship, then that wouldn't make for good optics for the Cons being "different" from United.

If it is a close race come October, I wonder how Green voters will act.

Seems more likely it will be about vote splitting opening it up for the NDP than people worrying about where the Conservative/NDP are on the issues.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Honestly, I'd like the Green voters to feel safe enough to vote their conscience - let's not have the Dippers get too complacent.

[sunsetmountainland]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Seems more likely it will be about vote splitting opening it up for the NDP than people worrying about where the Conservative/NDP are on the issues.

If there is going to be vote splitting with the B.C. united party I would bet it would be the N.D.P that loses more to the United. Lets face it the United is a left wing party. David Eby is bat shit crazy! Thus making the N.D.P so far gone into looney left territory. At least Horgan was a reasonable person.

The smart right of center candidates will just ship from the B.C. United to go to the Conservatives. Leaving the B.C. United with a left wing light N.D.P party.

The Conservatives are on the rise both the B.C. United and N.D.P will lose support. I predict a Conservative majority.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Anybody who thinks the ex-SoCreds ex-Libs United are "left-wing" is already way off the mark long before making any actual predictions.

This is another Divide the Right movement, same with Wildrose, Reform and the PPC; both United and Cons will come out worse from it, and neither has a chance in suburban Vancouver (which they need to win) without shifting left. Simple as.

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by sunsetmountainland

If there is going to be vote splitting with the B.C. united party I would bet it would be the N.D.P that loses more to the United. Lets face it the United is a left wing party. David Eby is bat shit crazy! Thus making the N.D.P so far gone into looney left territory. At least Horgan was a reasonable person.

The smart right of center candidates will just ship from the B.C. United to go to the Conservatives. Leaving the B.C. United with a left wing light N.D.P party.

The Conservatives are on the rise both the B.C. United and N.D.P will lose support. I predict a Conservative majority.

So you say BC United is already a left-wing party, but then you say it's going to be once all the right-leaning MLAs jump ship? Which one is it? I'm not sure you understand what point you're making.

You've made it clear you want the Conservatives to win but it's odd to see someone both acknowledge they are fighting for the same pool of voters as United but then also try to claim that the latter party isn't still centre-right.

Either way, BC United is not a left-wing party. No one who has paid a decent enough amount of attention to provincial politics would argue this in any seriousness.

Obviously, you can say that Falcon's rebranding of the party is meant to reinforce a "big tent" mindset, but United is hardly succeeding in attracting any significant number of centrist or centre-left voters. In fact it's the BC NDP who have successfully moderated themselves while in government to shift toward the centre and scoop up those votes. This is also why we saw increasing itchiness from the harder left factions in the party toward the tail end of Horgan's tenure (and, in all honesty, it's still there bubbling under the surface).

The idea of building a grand coalition just to defeat the NDP is neither new to our politics nor new to United; they did the same thing when they were the BC Liberals. They're just doing a worse job of it now.

[Migrant_Coconut]

If anybody's going to be stealing votes from the NDP, it's the Greens in Vancouver and on the Island - doubt the hardcore environmentalists and/or left-wing NIMBYs are happy with their current course.

[sunsetmountainland]

Originally Posted by bluefox

So you say BC United is already a left-wing party, but then you say it's going to be once all the right-leaning MLAs jump ship? Which one is it? I'm not sure you understand what point you're making.

You've made it clear you want the Conservatives to win but it's odd to see someone both acknowledge they are fighting for the same pool of voters as United but then also try to claim that the latter party isn't still centre-right.

Either way, BC United is not a left-wing party. No one who has paid a decent enough amount of attention to provincial politics would argue this in any seriousness.

Obviously, you can say that Falcon's rebranding of the party is meant to reinforce a "big tent" mindset, but United is hardly succeeding in attracting any significant number of centrist or centre-left voters. In fact it's the BC NDP who have successfully moderated themselves while in government to shift toward the centre and scoop up those votes. This is also why we saw increasing itchiness from the harder left factions in the party toward the tail end of Horgan's tenure (and, in all honesty, it's still there bubbling under the surface).

The idea of building a grand coalition just to defeat the NDP is neither new to our politics nor new to United; they did the same thing when they were the BC Liberals. They're just doing a worse job of it now.

I understand some history is needed for some. Kevin Falcon and the B.C. United party was originally the provincial liberal party. Liberal nowadays is a left party usually more to the right of the N.D.P but not always. Actions show.

The B.C. liberal party was made up of Conservative and Liberals in the federal sense. The more conservative will jump ship to the Conservative party. The base of the B.C. united is Liberal. Kevin Falcon should just jump to the N.D.P just like Gordon Wilson did when he used to be a B.C. Liberal. The B.C. United/Liberal party is more related to the N.D.P than the Conservative. That is why the Conservatives would never merge with the United.

[Migrant_Coconut]

More accurate history: The Social Credit Party has been BC's right-wing party for most of last century. Some centrists tried to move away to the new BC Liberals, but the SoCreds followed them, and the Libs became a centre-right party. Now that the Libs are tainted as well (as well as being more and more radicalized and crossing the aisle to the Cons), they've rebranded again, but nobody's buying it this time.