BC United MLA's defection to Conservative Party of BC gives them official party status
There was a major shift in B.C. politics Wednesday — Abbotsford MLA Bruce Banman left the BC United party to join the Conservative Party of BC.
Banman said his decision was motivated by a desire to speak for his constituents, without being muzzled.
“I believe that will be able to bring the concerns of my constituents – with an open heart and mind … in a more transparent and open manner than I was able to do underneath the party I was in,” Banman said Wednesday.
The move thrusts the Conservatives into official party status – they now have the minimum required two elected members of the legislature.
Banman – a former Abbotsford mayor — joins John Rustad, who was booted from the party formerly called the BC Liberals a year ago, before becoming leader of the provincial Conservatives.
Rustad was ecstatic on Wednesday.
“I believe this is historic,” he said. “I don't believe there’s ever been a time where there’s been four official major poltical parties in British Columbia."
The two MLAs will bring funding for the Conservative Party of BC, which, as an official party, will now have certain privileges, including access to committees and a daily question during question period.
Political scientist Hamish Telford says this will provide the party with much more exposure.
“I think now it guarantees John Rustad a spot in the election TV debate during the next election, next year, so he can really present his message, make his pitch to British Columbians, generally,” said Telford, a professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Wednesday was clearly a bouyant day for the Conservatives, already riding the success of a recent second place finish in the Langford-Juan de Fuca byelection and potentially benefiting from a surge in popularity of the federal Conservatives.
“Pierre Poillevre leading the federal Conservative Party seems to be lifitng all conservative boats,” observed Telford.
Meanwhile, BC United faces the spectre of losing two MLAs in a year and trailing the provincial Conservatives in a recent poll by Mainstreet Research.
BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said he expressed his disappointment about Banman’s decision to his former MLA, in a phone call.
“I reminded Bruce that the people that voted for him, that raised money for him, that worked hard for him — he’s going to have to explain that to them," Falcon said. "Candidly, Bruce has been an ongoing management problem.”
All of these fireworks erupting as the next provincial election looms just over a year away, and as MLAs prepare for the fall session of the legislature that begins in two weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.