Provincial political party in Canada
| Conservative Party of British Columbia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | John Rustad |
| President | Aisha Estey |
| Founded | 1903; 121 years ago (1903) |
| Preceded by | Liberal-Conservative Party (1903–1926) Conservative Party (1926–1942) Progressive Conservative Party (1942–1991) |
| Headquarters | 1434 Ironwood Street Unit 327 Campbell River, British Columbia V9W 5T5 |
| Membership (2024) |  ~9,000 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing |
| Colours | Blue |
| Legislative Assembly | 44 / 93 |
| Website | |
| conservativebc | |
The Conservative Party of British Columbia, commonly known as the BC Conservatives and colloquially known as the Tories, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is the main rival to the governing British Columbia New Democratic Party and forms the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It is led by John Rustad, who was originally elected as a British Columbia Liberal Party MLA in 2005 before being expelled from the Liberal caucus in 2022.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Conservatives competed with the BC Liberal Party for power in the province. During this period, three party leaders served as premier of British Columbia: Richard McBride (1903–1915), William John Bowser (1915–1916), and Simon Fraser Tolmie (1928–1933). Royal Maitland and Herbert Anscomb served as deputy premiers, both during the coalition governments of the 1940s. The party's influence diminished in the second half of the century, with the Conservatives having only a minor presence in the legislature after the 1950s. However, the party saw a resurgence under Rustad's leadership in the 2024 provincial election, winning the second-most seats in its best electoral performance in 72 years.
While both of its members tend to support each other, and both parties have roughly the same platform, the BC Conservatives have no organizational link to the federal Conservative Party of Canada, and as such does not operate as their provincial wing in the province.
History
Founding and early years
The Conservative Party of British Columbia was formed in 1900 as the Liberal-Conservative Party, before the province officially embraced partisan politics. The party selected Charles Wilson as its first leader. Several opposition factions contested the 1900 general election against the non-partisan government, but these were generally loose affiliations. In 1902, the Conservative Party convention passed a resolution to stand candidates in the next election.
Party government was introduced on June 1, 1903, by Premier Richard McBride, when he announced the formation of an officially Conservative government. McBride believed that the system of non-partisan government that the province had until that point was unstable and inhibiting development. His Conservatives won the 1903 election, the first fought on the party system, earning a two-seat majority in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly over their rivals, the Liberal Party, as well as various Socialist and Labour MLAs. The Conservatives generally implemented policies mirroring the priorities of the national Conservative Party, which at the time favoured government intervention to help develop industry and infrastructure.
The Conservatives under McBride and his successor, William John Bowser, held power for 13 years until they were defeated by the Liberals in the 1916 election. In November 1926, the Liberal-Conservative Party formally changed its name to the Conservative Party.
Tolmie government and crisis
The Tories returned to power in the 1928 election under the leadership of Simon Fraser Tolmie, winning 35 of 48 seats in the Legislature. The Tolmie government was confronted with the Great Depression, and was wracked by infighting and indecision. The party was in such disarray that, despite being in power, the Conservative provincial association decided not to run any candidates in the 1933 election. Instead, each local association was left to act on its own, endorsing some candidates who ran as Independents, some as Independent Conservatives, and so on. Those supporting Premier Tolmie ran under the 'Unionist' label, while others grouped around former premier William John Bowser and ran as part of the 'Non-Partisan Independent Group'. When Bowser died and the elections in Vancouver Centre and Victoria City were postponed, four Non-partisan and two Unionist candidates withdrew.
The Conservative Party rebounded under Frank Porter Patterson to run a near-full slate in the election of 1937, however they were only able to elect eight MLAs, just one more than the growing Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) caucus. In the election of 1941, the Conservatives were able to win 12 seats, compared to 21 for the Liberals and 14 for the CCF. Members of the province's business community, who feared the growing strength of the democratic socialist CCF, urged the Liberals and Conservatives to form a wartime coalition government to ensure stability. Then-Conservative leader Royal Maitland agreed, while then-Liberal Premier T.D. Pattullo was opposed; however, Pattullo was forced to resign by his own party in late 1941. John Hart replaced him as Liberal leader and premier on the promise to form a coalition, and did so, making Maitland Deputy Premier and Attorney General shortly thereafter.
Coalition years
In 1942, the BC Conservatives were rebranded as the BC Progressive Conservative Party, following the lead of the federal party. Maitland and Hart served throughout the remainder of World War II and continued their partnership past, running a joint ticket in the 1945 election and winning a majority government of 37 out of 48 seats. However, Maitland died suddenly in 1946 and was replaced by Herbert Anscomb, who became Deputy Premier and Finance Minister in the coalition government. When Premier Hart retired in 1947, the Conservatives pushed for Anscomb to succeed him as Premier, but the Liberals, who had more members in the coalition caucus, insisted that the role remain with a Liberal. Byron Johnson was appointed Premier a short time later, but the conflict strained relations between the two parties and leaders going forward, and caused internal divisions to open up within the Tories.
The PCs were riven into three factions: one led by Okanagan MLA W.A.C. Bennett, who called for the Liberals and Tories to fuse into a single party; a second faction that supported the status-quo; and a third that wanted Anscomb to simply lead the PCs out of the coalition. Meanwhile, the Liberals were beginning to doubt that they needed the fractious Tories to govern. The coalition was re-elected in the 1949 election, winning 39 seats against nine for the CCF opposition, but despite this, growing divisions within the Conservative Party resulted in Anscomb's leadership being challenged at the 1950 party convention. Bennett, who had moved over to the anti-coalition faction, quit the party and crossed the floor to sit as a Social Credit League of British Columbia member, eventually forming the BC Social Credit Party.
In January 1952, the Liberals decided to dissolve the coalition, with Johnson summarily dismissing his PC ministers, including Anscomb, and continued forward as a minority government. The Conservatives properly re-founded their party and went into the 1952 election with the goal of unseating Premier Johnson.
Decline
Prior to the 1952 election, the coalition government, whose entire reason for being had been to keep the CCF out of power, introduced an instant-runoff voting system. The assumption behind the change was that business-oriented voters would keep the democratic socialist party out of power through their secondary choices, regardless of the split between the former coalition partners. However, the Social Credit League, led by Albertan Ernest George Hansell, won the most seats in the election, while the two former coalition partners fell far behind. The PCs won only four seats, not including Anscomb's Oak Bay constituency. Two months later, former Tory W.A.C. Bennett would take control of the Socreds, dropping the party's social credit monetary reform policy in favour of traditional and populist platforms.
It was clear to those who wanted to keep the CCF out of power that only the Socreds would be able to accomplish that task, and so business-oriented voters left the old parties behind. Having a majority government following 1953, the Social Credit government changed the electoral system back to first past the post in order to cement its base. Social Credit became, in effect, the new centre-right coalition party, and both the Liberals and the Tories became marginalized.
Wilderness years
Between the 1956 and 1972 elections, the Tories won no seats in the Legislature, and the party began to dwindle. After 1960, the party would not run a full slate of candidates again until 2024. Deane Finlayson served as leader from 1952 until 1961, eventually handing the reins to federal Member of Parliament Davie Fulton. Fulton led the party to a brief surge of relevance in the 1963 election, winning 11% of the vote but no seats, with even Fulton falling far behind his Socred opponent in the Kamloops constituency. Fulton left soon after, returning to federal politics while the BC Tories collapsed into ruin. The Party ran only three candidates in the 1966 election, and just one, then-party leader John de Wolf, in the 1969 election.
In 1971, former Socred MLA Scott Wallace, who represented Oak Bay, crossed the floor to join the PCs, becoming the party's first MLA in 15 years. The PCs earned nearly 13% of the vote in the 1972 election and two seats—Wallace's and Hugh Curtis in Saanich and the Islands, both in the Victoria area. The election was won by the CCF's successor party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), who took advantage of the split between the Socreds, Tories, and resurgent Liberals to form a majority government.
Wallace was elected leader of the party in 1973. However, in 1974, his caucus mate Curtis left to join the Social Credit caucus, answering a call by new leader Bill Bennett to reunite the 'pro-business' vote. Wallace was able to win his own seat in the 1975 election, but resigned in 1977 and returned to his medical practice shortly after. Wallace's successor in Oak Bay and the party leadership was the last Tory MLA to be elected. Vic Stephens won the seat in a 1978 by-election, but lost in the following year's general election campaign.
During this time, with most of their voters in BC supporting Social Credit, the federal Progressive Conservative Party kept its distance in order to avoid alienating Social Credit Party supporters. When the federal and provincial election campaigns overlapped in 1979, federal leader Joe Clark made obvious efforts to avoid any contact with Stephens. The Tories returned to the political wilderness in the following years. For a brief stint in 1986, former NDP MLA Graham Lea crossed the floor to sit as a PC MLA, but quit politics altogether following the dissolution of the Legislature for the 1986 election.
In 1991, the party changed its name back to the BC Conservative Party. However, the party was unable to gain traction during the collapse of the Socred government in the 1991 election and the subsequent re-alignment of BC politics. The party ran only a handful of candidates between 1991 and 2005, as the pro-business voters of the province moved en masse to the BC Liberals.
Twenty-first century revival efforts
In 2005, former BC Reform Party and Christian conservative British Columbia Party leader Wilf Hanni was elected leader of the Conservatives. The party fielded 24 candidates in the 2009 election, its highest number since 1979, and earned 2.1% of the vote. In the aftermath of the election, Hanni resigned as party leader, along with eleven directors and party officials, citing infighting.
By the end of 2010, with former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford acting as an advisor, the party had the support of 8% of voters according to opinion polls, had approximately 2,000 members—up from 300 in June of that year—and had constituency associations established in 45 of the province's 85 ridings. The party received another boost in 2011. After Christy Clark defeated Kevin Falcon for the BC Liberal leadership, a segment of Falcon's supporters defected to the Conservative ranks. The Conservatives held their own leadership convention on May 28, 2011, where former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament John Cummins was proclaimed leader. By late 2011, Conservative support had surged to 18%.
On March 26, 2012, Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen announced that he was leaving the Liberals to join the Conservatives, providing the party with its first representative in the Legislative Assembly since 1986. However, six months later van Dongen switched to Independent status after Cummins was re-elected party leader without van Dongen's support. van Dongen stated that he lacked confidence in Cummins' leadership and cited differences about the party's direction as reasons for leaving.
In the run-up to the 2013 election, the party was able to field only 56 candidates. Nevertheless, Cummins was invited to join the leaders of the Liberals, NDP, and Greens on-stage for the leaders' debates. The Conservatives ultimately received less than 5% of the vote and had no candidates elected. On July 18, 2013, Cummins resigned as party leader. Dan Brooks was elected the new leader of the party on April 12, 2014. Brooks resigned at the party's annual general meeting on February 20, 2016. However, stating that outstanding issues that led to his resignations were resolved, Brooks was re-elected as leader at a leadership convention held on September 17, 2016. On October 28, 2016, the party's executive board removed Brooks from the leadership after ruling that the meeting that approved his candidacy for the leadership convention lacked quorum. Brooks criticized the decision, stating that the executive were "like praying mantises, they eat their leaders".
The party did not select a new leader before the start of the 2017 election campaign. As such, the Conservatives entered the election campaign without a leader and nominated only ten candidates, none of whom were elected. In September 2017, following the party's annual general meeting, Scott Anderson, a Vernon city councillor, was appointed interim leader by a unanimous vote of the newly elected board. Anderson oversaw the reformation of several defunct riding associations and an increase in membership, and took the party through the Kelowna West and Nanaimo by-elections. Fort St. John city councillor Trevor Bolin became the party's new permanent leader on April 8, 2019.
The party altered its name to the Conservative Party of British Columbia prior to the 2020 general election.
During the BC Liberal leadership race in 2022, conservative commentator Aaron Gunn was disqualified by the party, which described his views as "inconsistent" with Liberal values including "diversity and acceptance of all British Columbians". Following his disqualification, Gunn founded Common Sense BC, an advocacy group to study the viability of a right-wing alternative to the BC Liberals. Common Sense endorsed a slate of candidates who stood for election to the Conservative Party board at the May 2022 annual general meeting, effectively launching a takeover of the party. The endorsed candidates, including People's Party of Canada founding member Angelo Isidorou, were elected, and right-wing activists took control of the party. In August 2022, the party revealed a new logo, alongside a new website and platform.
John Rustad leadership and resurgence (2023–present)
On February 16, 2023, John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes, joined the Conservative Party, giving the party representation in the Legislature for the first time since 2012. Rustad had been elected as a Liberal but was removed from the party's caucus in August 2022 after he refused to undo his retweet of a comment casting doubt on the scientific consensus that climate change is caused by carbon dioxide emissions; after the removal, Rustad sat as an Independent. Rustad cited "irreconcilable differences" with Liberal leader Kevin Falcon in explaining his decision to join the Conservatives.
Bolin announced on March 3, 2023, that he was stepping down as party leader, and that a party leadership race would be held in the near future. Three weeks later, Rustad announced that he was running for the party's leadership. On March 31, 2023, Rustad was acclaimed as the new leader as the only candidate in the race.
In the June 2023 Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca by-elections, the Conservative candidates placed fourth and second, with 4.88% and 19.86% of the vote, respectively. The second place finish in Langford-Juan de Fuca, ahead of the centre-right BC United (formerly the BC Liberals), indicated a surge in support for the Conservatives, which was seen to echo that of the federal Conservative Party, which by 2023 was surging in national polls.
On September 13, 2023, BC United MLA Bruce Banman crossed the floor to join the Conservatives. This gave the Conservatives the two MLAs necessary for official party status, and Banman was named party house leader. As a result of the party gaining official status, the Legislative Assembly Management Committee approved $214,000 in funding for the Conservative caucus, equivalent to the two-MLA Green caucus.
On May 31, 2024, BC United MLA and caucus chair Lorne Doerkson crossed the floor to the Conservatives. Doerkson was followed by BC United's MLA for Surrey South, Elenore Sturko on June 3—she also announced her intention to run in Surrey-Cloverdale for the upcoming election— and BC United MLA for Richmond North Centre and former Minister of Trade Teresa Wat on July 29.
Leading up to the 2024 provincial election, polls showed the Conservatives displacing BC United as the main challenger to the incumbent BC NDP. On August 28, 2024, BC United leader Falcon announced that his party, lagging in the polls, was suspending its campaign after negotiations with Rustad, and that he was putting his support behind Rustad and the Conservatives. In addition, it was announced that some candidates from the BC United roster could run as Conservatives for the election. Popular support for the Conservatives surged after the announcement, with the party in a statistical tie in opinion polling with the NDP by mid-September. The rise of the Conservatives at the expense of BC United was noted by some commentators to have changed political discourse in the province, with the Conservatives and NDP both leaning more into culture war issues.
Ideology and political positions
For much of its history, the BC Conservative Party subscribed to a free enterprise ideology, although one that was often overshadowed by centre-right coalitions like those of the BC Social Credit and BC Liberal parties. However, the Conservatives, especially in the 21st century, sought to offer a right-wing alternative, and with the breakdown of formerly successful centre-right coalitions have enjoyed renewed popularity. In 2017, party communications director John Twigg compared the party's populist and anti-establishment rhetoric with that of the Brexit movement and that of supporters of Donald Trump.
Under John Rustad's leadership, the party has portrayed itself as more mainstream and "common sense" in order to broaden its appeal. In 2023 and 2024, Rustad described his party as a "centre-right alternative" to BC United, the BC NDP, and the BC Greens, while matching the rhetoric of the federal Conservative Party in focusing on affordability and crime. Rustad's party has been labeled both centre-right and right-wing.
Economic issues
The party advocates for increased resource extraction with fewer environmental roadblocks, and calls to further develop the province's fossil fuel and lumber industries. It seeks to eliminate the provincial carbon tax, roll back climate-friendly building codes, and consider nuclear power as an energy option. It also seeks to expand support for farmers by increasing local food processing capacity, and to bring in private auto insurance companies.
Healthcare
The party supports allowing for both public and private health-care options and allowing patients who are waiting for care in B.C. to access services at approved out-of-province clinics. It opposes COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care workers and has promised to compensate health-care workers who lost their jobs as a result.
Housing
In 2024, party leader John Rustad told supporters that he would scrap a housing reform by the BC NDP that legalized fourplexes on lots that previously only allowed single-family housing and sixplexes on lots near rapid transit stations. Instead, the Conservatives would work with local governments to use pre-zoning to increase density and supply in specific areas. The party has proposed a $1,500 a month housing costs rebate for both renters and homeowners starting in 2026, supports incentives for rental construction, and has promised it will not bring in low-barrier housing or homeless shelters without community consent.
Social issues
The party has been described as a "more socially conservative" party than BC United. Rustad has often clashed on social issues with BC premier David Eby in the legislature. Rustad accused Eby of being an "authoritarian socialist" in 2023, while in 2024, Eby accused the Conservatives of embodying "the worst traits of American populism".
Rustad has said that under a BC Conservative government, access to abortion and contraception "will remain exactly as it is now."
The party opposes BC's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) education policies and safe injection sites for drug users. The party proposes that people suffering from severe drug addiction be involuntarily committed to drug rehabilitation centres, and opposes the now rolled-back NDP drug decriminalization pilot program. It supports increased funding for law enforcement and justice reform measures to deal with repeat or violent offenders.
Conspiracies
Under Rustad's leadership, the party has been criticized by opponents for its candidates espousing conspiracy theories. Rustad has been the subject of media attention for several controversial claims, including that children may be forced to eat insects, that vaccine mandates are about "shaping opinion and control on the population", and a social media post which critics said compared SOGI education and the Canadian residential school system.
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, a leaked dossier of opposition research revealed support for conspiracy theories among several party candidates. The party dropped several candidates for spreading misinformation on vaccination and medical issues, including Stephen Malthouse, Jan Webb, and Rachael Weber. The party also dropped Damon Scrase for homophobic and racist comments, and Alexandra Wright after “careful consideration of various factors related to campaign performance and conduct”. BC United implied the latter decision was because Wright had re-posted a statement calling for a criminal investigation into Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, while Wright herself believed it was due to a conflict she had with a local fruit packer.
Party leaders
† denotes interim leader or vacancy
| # | Leader | Tenure | Highest position |
|---|---|---|---|
| † | Charles Wilson | 1900–1903 | Party leader |
| 1 | Richard McBride | 1903 – December 1915 | Premier |
| 2 | William John Bowser | December 1915 – August 1924 | Premier |
| † | Robert Henry Pooley | August 1924 – November 1926 | Party leader (interim) |
| 3 | Simon Fraser Tolmie | November 1926 – May 1936 | Premier |
| † | Frank Porter Patterson | May 1936 – February 1938 | Party leader (interim) |
| 4 | Royal Lethington Maitland | September 1938 – March 1946 | Deputy premier |
| 5 | Herbert Anscomb | April 1946 – November 1952 | Deputy premier |
| 6 | Deane Finlayson | November 1952 – April 1961 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | April 1961 – January 1963 | — |
| 7 | Davie Fulton | January 1963 – April 1965 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | April 1965 – June 1969 | — |
| 8 | John de Wolf | June 1969 – November 1971 | Party leader |
| 9 | Derril Thomas Warren | November 1971 – December 1973 | Party leader |
| 10 | George Scott Wallace | December 1973 – October 1977 | Party leader |
| 11 | Victor Albert Stephens | October 1977 – November 1980 | Party leader |
| 12 | Brian Westwood | November 1980 – March 1985 | Party leader |
| 13 | Peter Pollen | March 1985 – August 1986 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | August 1986 – July 1991 | — |
| 14 | Peter B. Macdonald | July 1991 – March 1997 | Party leader |
| 15 | David Mercier | March 1997 – January 2001 | Party leader |
| 16 | Susan Power | 2001–2003 | Party leader |
| 17 | Kenneth Edgar King | 2003–2004 | Party leader |
| 18 | Barry Edward Chilton | 2004–2005 | Party leader |
| 19 | Wilf Hanni | 2005–2009 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | 2009 – May 2011 | — |
| 20 | John Cummins | May 2011 – July 2013 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | July 2013 – April 2014 | — |
| 21 | Dan Brooks | April 2014 – February 2016 | Party leader |
| † | Vacant | February 2016 – October 2017 | — |
| † | Scott Anderson | October 4, 2017 – April 8, 2019 | Party leader (interim) |
| 22 | Trevor Bolin | April 8, 2019 – March 31, 2023 | Party leader |
| 23 | John Rustad | March 31, 2023 – present | Leader of the Opposition |
Notes
- Wilson served as leader before the province officially allowed party politics.
- After resigning as leader in February 2016, Brooks ran again for leadership in September 2016; although he was elected, he was removed the following month when the party executive ruled that his nomination meeting had lacked quorum.
Election results
See also: List of BC general elections § Results by party| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | Richard McBride | 27,913 | 46.43 | 22 / 42 | 22
|
1st
|
Majority |
| 1907 | 30,781 | 48.70 | 26 / 42 | 4
|
 1st
|
Majority | |
| 1909 | 53,074 | 52.33 | 38 / 42 | 12
|
1st
|
Majority | |
| 1912 | 50,423 | 59.65 | 39 / 42 | 1
|
1st
|
Majority | |
| 1916 | William John Bowser | 72,842 | 40.52 | 9 / 47 |  30
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
| 1920 | 110,475 | 31.20 | 15 / 47 | 6
|
2nd
|
Opposition | |
| 1924 | 101,765 | 29.45 | 17 / 48 | 2
|
2nd
|
Opposition | |
| 1928 | Simon Fraser Tolmie | 192,867 | 53.30 | 35 / 48 | 18
|
1st
|
Majority |
| 1933 | Did not contest | 0 / 47 | 35
|
N/A | Extra-parliamentary | ||
| 1937 | Frank Porter Patterson | 119,521 | 28.60 | 8 / 48 | 8
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
| 1941 | Royal Lethington Maitland | 140,282 | 30.91 | 12 / 48 | 4
|
3rd
|
Coalition |
| 1945 | 261,147 | 55.83 | 37 / 48 | N/A | 1st
|
Majority | |
| 1949 | Herbert Anscomb | 428,773 | 61.35 | 39 / 48 | 2
|
1st
|
Majority |
| 1952 | 129,439 | 16.84 | 4 / 48 | N/A | 4th
|
Fourth party | |
| 1953 | Deane Finlayson | 40,780 | 5.60 | 1 / 48 | 3
|
4th
|
No status |
| 1956 | 25,373 | 3.11 | 0 / 52 | 1
|
4th
|
No seats | |
| 1960 | 66,943 | 6.72 | 0 / 52 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats | |
| 1963 | Davie Fulton | 109,090 | 11.27 | 0 / 52 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 1966 | Vacant | 1,409 | 0.18 | 0 / 55 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 1969 | John de Wolf | 1,087 | 0.11 | 0 / 55 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 1972 | Derril Thomas Warren | 143,450 | 12.67 | 2 / 55 | 2
|
4th
|
Fourth party |
| 1975 | George Scott Wallace | 49,796 | 3.86 | 1 / 55 | 1
|
4th
|
No status |
| 1979 | Victor Stephens | 71,078 | 5.06 | 0 / 57 | 1
|
3rd
|
No seats |
| 1983 | Brian Westwood | 19,131 | 1.16 | 0 / 57 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 1986 | Vacant | 14,074 | 0.73 | 0 / 69 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 1991 | Peter B. Macdonald | 426 | 0.03 | 0 / 75 | 0
|
9th
|
No seats |
| 1996 | 1,002 | 0.06 | 0 / 75 | 0
|
10th
|
No seats | |
| 2001 | Susan Power | 2,417 | 0.15 | 0 / 79 | 0
|
8th
|
No seats |
| 2005 | Barry Chilton | 9,623 | 0.55 | 0 / 79 | 0
|
7th
|
No seats |
| 2009 | Wilf Hanni | 34,451 | 2.10 | 0 / 85 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 2013 | John Cummins | 85,783 | 4.76 | 0 / 85 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 2017 | Vacant | 10,421 | 0.53 | 0 / 87 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 2020 | Trevor Bolin | 35,902 | 1.91 | 0 / 87 | 0
|
4th
|
No seats |
| 2024 | John Rustad | 910,180 | 43.27 | 44 / 93 | 44
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
Notes
- After the election, a coalition government was formed by the Conservative and Liberal members. T. D. Patullo, Liberal leader, objected, stepped down, and sat as a Liberal, giving the Coalition 32 seats.
- ^ In the 1945 and 1949 elections, the Liberal Party ran in coalition with the Conservative Party. Results compared to Liberal and Conservative total from previous election.
- ^ The 1952 and 1953 elections used the alternative voting system. Rather than marking the ballot with an X, numbers were to be placed opposite the names in order of choice. If, after the first count, no candidate received an absolute simple majority, the candidate with the fewest votes was dropped, and the second choices distributed among the remaining candidates. This process continued until a candidate emerged with the requisite majority vote. Some voters only indicated a first choice (plumping), and others did not utilize the full range available. Consequently, as the counts progressed, some ballots would be exhausted and total valid votes would decline, thereby reducing the absolute majority required to be elected. In multi-member ridings, there were as many ballots as members to be elected, distinguished by colour and letters.
See also
- List of British Columbia political parties
- List of British Columbia premiers
- List of British Columbia general elections
References
- "B.C.'s unofficial election campaign is in full swing". CBC News. August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- "B.C. Tories call for top doctor's job over continued vaccine mandates for health-care workers". Global News. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- MacLeod, Andrew (February 16, 2023). "The BC Conservative Party has announced MLA John Rustad has joined them. Rustad has sat as an independent since the BC Liberals booted him out in August. #bcpoli" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "B.C. NDP poised to win 2024 election, with judicial recounts increasingly likely". CTV News British Columbia. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- "NDP closer to winning majority after overturning Conservative lead in critical Surrey riding". CBC News. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Legislative Library of British Columbia, Party Leaders in British Columbia 1900–, 2000, updated 2005
- ^ Hans J. Michelmann, David E. Smith, Cristine De Clercy Continuity And Change in Canadian Politics: Essays in Honour of David E. Smith, University of Toronto Press (2006), page 184
- "The Vancouver Sun, January 18, 1952".
- Little, Simon. "Poll shows BC Conservatives making inroads among federal Conservative voters". Global News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Morley, J. Terence; Ruff, Norman J.; Swanson, Neil A.; Wilson, R. Jeremy; and Young, Walter D., The Reins of Power: Governing British Columbia, p. 92, Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, 1983
- Hui, Stephen (June 30, 2009). "B.C. Conservative Party leader Wilf Hanni resigns over infighting". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- Matas, Robert (December 28, 2010). "Spurred by warhorses, B.C. Tories plot a comeback". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- Fowlie, Jonathan (February 20, 2012). "A "handful" of Falcon backers flee to BC Conservatives". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- "Cummins named leader of B.C. Conservatives". CBC News. May 28, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- MacLeod, Andrew (November 3, 2011). "BC Liberal declines under Premier Clark benefit Conservatives, NDP". The Tyee. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
- Lindsay, Bethany (March 26, 2012). "Van Dongen ditches BC Liberals, joins Conservatives". ctv.ca. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ Toth, Christina (September 25, 2012). "Independence Day for van Dongen". Abbotsford-Mission Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- "BC Provincial Election Debate – April 29, 2013". www.cpac.ca. May 14, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- "B.C. Conservative Leader John Cummins resigns". The Globe and Mail. July 18, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- "B.C. Conservative leader resigns". Vancouver Sun. Canadian Press. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- "B.C. Conservatives name Dan Brooks as new party leader". CBC. September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Newly re-elected leader Dan Brooks ousted as leader of the BC Conservative party". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. October 28, 2016. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- "BC Liberals cut to minority with Greens holding balance of power". theglobeandmail.com. May 10, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- "Fort St. John councillor named B.C. Conservative leader". Victoria News. April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- "Registered Political Parties – Information" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- Grochowski, Sarah (October 22, 2021). "Aaron Gunn tossed from B.C. Liberal leadership race over 'diversity concerns'". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- "Young Tories take aim at BC Liberals". Northern Beat. May 27, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- Zussman, Richard (August 18, 2022). "BC Liberals boot MLA John Rustad from caucus after questioning climate change science". Global News. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- DeRosa, Katie (February 16, 2023). "Ousted B.C. Liberal MLA John Rustad joins B.C. Conservatives". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- Preprost, Matt (March 3, 2023). "Bolin to step down as B.C. Conservative leader". Vancouver is Awesome. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- Depner, Wolf (March 7, 2023). "Rustad for B.C. conservative leader? Speculation becomes more probable as Bolin steps down". Burns Lake Lakes District News. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- Petersen, Hanna (March 23, 2023). "MLA John Rustad running for BC Conservative Party leadership". Prince George Citizen. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- Meissner, Dirk (March 31, 2023). "Former B.C. Liberal minister John Rustad acclaimed leader of B.C. Conservatives". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- Carey, Charlie (June 24, 2023). "Clean sweep for NDP in B.C. byelections". CityNews. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ Meissner, Dirk (December 12, 2023). "B.C. Conservatives awaken from decades in dormancy ahead of 2024 vote". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- "BC United MLA Bruce Banman defects to provincial Conservatives". CTV News. The Canadian Press. September 13, 2023. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- Depner, Wolf (September 13, 2023). "Conservative Party of BC gains seat and official status in legislature". Victoria News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-legislature-makes-it-official-as-conservatives-get-money-to-go-with-new-found-party-status
- "B.C. United caucus chair Lorne Doerkson defects to Conservatives". CBC. The Canadian Press. May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- "Teresa Wat, 4th B.C. United MLA defects to B.C. Conservatives". CBC News. July 30, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- Carey, Charlie (June 3, 2024). "Surrey MLA Elenore Sturko defects, joins BC Conservatives". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- Lazenby, Alec (July 30, 2024). "B.C. Election 2024: Battle between Conservatives and NDP narrows as Teresa Wat defects from B.C. United". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ Larsen, Karin (August 28, 2024). "Falcon ends B.C. United campaign, throws support to Conservatives". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- "Kevin Falcon attempting to suspend BC United's campaign in fall election | Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- Weichel, Andrew (September 17, 2024). "B.C. NDP, Conservatives statistically tied after United party capitulation, survey finds". CTV News. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- Todd, Douglas (October 4, 2024). "Culture wars turning hot in B.C.'s combative election". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- Russ, Geoff (August 28, 2024). "Geoff Russ: BC United refused to enter the culture war, so it lost". National Post. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ Crawford, Kilian (April 19, 2024). "How the BC Conservatives Fell. And Are Rising Again". The Tyee. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- McElroy, Justin (September 14, 2023). "Why the rise of the B.C. Conservative Party could change the province's political dynamic". CBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Pablo, Carlito (March 13, 2017). "B.C. Conservative Party compares its populist movement to Brexit and Trump election". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ McIntyre, Pete (July 9, 2023). "Rustad and BC Conservatives giving voters a right-wing option". Vernon Matters. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024.
- Pandey-Kanaan, Aastha (March 31, 2024). "BC Conservatives gaining support ahead of election: poll". CityNews. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Lazenby, Alec (August 28, 2024). "BC United out of the election, leader Kevin Falcon backs Conservatives". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- The Canadian Press (August 29, 2024). "A Conservative future? Incumbent B.C. United MLAs ponder what comes next". Coast Mountain News. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- The Canadian Press (October 4, 2024). "A look at John Rustad, leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- "B.C. opposition parties heat up climate debate with attacks on NDP's plans". CBC News. Canadian Press. November 22, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "How do British Columbia's three main parties compare on these election issues?". CBC News. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- "Rustad Would Scrap Zoning Reforms, Keep Rent Control". The Tyee. 2024.
- "Rustad pledges $10B in infrastructure while scrapping density increase". Williams Lake Tribune. 2024.
- "John Rustad lays out plan if elected as B.C.'s next leader". CBC. 2024.
- "Defecting B.C. United MLAs put aside past Conservative criticism". CBC. June 4, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- Meissner, Dirk (December 12, 2023). "B.C. Conservatives awaken from decades in dormancy ahead of 2024 vote". Global News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- "BC Conservatives pull into 2nd in latest poll". CityNews. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- "Concerns over pre-election polarization amid online barbs in B.C." CBC News. September 10, 2024. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- "BC Conservative Party leader stands by controversial social media post". Global News. October 2, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Vance, Emily (December 3, 2023). "Rise of B.C. Conservatives puts B.C. United on shaky ground — to the NDP's advantage, experts say". CBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- "John Rustad on the rise of the B.C. Conservatives and what 2024 might hold". CBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Pawson, Chad (September 26, 2024). "How turfing SOGI and banning books became part of B.C.'s election". CBC News. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- Meissner, Dirk (August 27, 2024). "'Loopy', 'whacky' or a 'big blue tent'? Growing pains for Rustad's B.C. Conservatives". CityNews. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- Meissner, Dirk (September 28, 2024). "NDP uses BC United research to mount attacks on 'crackpot' B.C. Conservatives". The Globe and Mail. Canadian Press. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- Johal, Rumneek (September 24, 2024). "BC Conservative Leader John Rustad Warned Convoy Event That Kids Will Be Forced to 'Eat Bugs'". PressProgress. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- Little, Simon (September 24, 2024). "Party leaders need to 'quickly depoliticize' vaccines, B.C. doctor says". Global News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- Wyton, Moira (October 1, 2023). "B.C. Tory leader defends post that appeared to liken teaching of sexuality and gender to residential schools". CBC News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
The leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia has defended his social media post that critics say appeared to compare teaching students about sexual orientation and gender identity to the genocide of Indigenous children in residential schools.
- "Leaked Dossier Reveals 200 Pages of Conspiracies and Controversial Statements From John Rustad's BC Conservative Candidates". PressProgress. September 27, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- Bains, Meera (March 28, 2024). "B.C. Conservatives drop candidate amid misinformation claims". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Shaw, Rob (March 29, 2024). "BC Conservatives fire Oceanside-Ladysmith physician candidate over COVID extremist views". CHEK News. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- Weichel, Andrew (September 3, 2024). "B.C. Conservative candidate ousted after spreading 5G conspiracy theories online". CTV News Vancouver. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- Little, Simon (May 29, 2024). "BC Conservative candidate resigns amid spotlight on recent social media posts". Global News. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ Tomas, Jesse (August 12, 2024). "Kelowna-Mission candidate believes she was removed due to conflict with fruit packer". Info News Kamloops. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
External links
| Conservative Party of British Columbia | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | |
| Leadership elections |
|
| Governments | |
| Shadow cabinets | |
| Related parties | |
| ^1 Coalition governments headed by Liberal premiers | |
Provincial political parties in British Columbia  | |
|---|---|
| Parties represented in the Legislative Assembly |
|
| Other parties recognized by Elections BC that contested the 2024 election |
|
| Parties recognized by Elections BC that did not contest the 2024 election | |
| Historical parties represented in the Legislative Assembly | |
| Conservative parties in Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Conservatism portal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||