FORSETH – B.C.’s Conservatives are NOT out of touch with British Columbians

I HAVE TO LAUGH at the emails I receive from the BC NDP.  There’s never a time they don’t outright trash the BC Conservative Party but, hey, all parties do it, right?

Still, I found yesterday’s email very entertaining because of their so-called two key points about the Conservatives, and of course their solicitation of donations.  Here’s a snapshot from the email:

I spend A LOT of time watching our BC NDP team work for people in the Legislature and this spring I noticed two key things about John Rustad and his BC Conservatives.

1. They’re completely out of touch with what matters to everyday British Columbians; and

2. They’re absolutely serious about trying to bring down our government as soon as they can.

 We have a razor-thin majority. To defend it — and preserve all the good work we’ve done for people in the last seven years — we have to be ready for whatever he throws at us.

Right now, we aren’t. We have to fundraise extra hard this month to make up for lost ground in April. We’re still rebuilding from the last election, and we’re $17,136 behind where we need to be …

… We can’t afford to lose momentum now, not with the BC Conservatives trying to block us at every turn and threatening votes of no confidence whenever they can.

 People are counting on us to defend them against Trump’s tariffs and threats, and to keep building a stronger, more tariff-proof B.C. where we can all get ahead …

So, to point number one; being out of touch with ‘everyday’ British Columbians, I’ll be blunt … it’s crap!

Just the other day MLA Claire Rattee stood with the grieving son whose mother was living in a provincially funded supportive housing facility operated by RainCity Housing in Surrey. Her body remained undiscovered for 11 days.  Ratte is calling for a full, independent review of all deaths in provincially funded supportive housing … and for a shift away from warehousing people with addictions in unsafe environments with rampant drug use.

The Conservative Caucus fought tooth and nail to defeat Bills 14 and 15.  They weren’t alone in their legitimate concerns that the authoritarian legislation contained in these bills was massive over-reach.  They were joined by the Union of B.C. Municipalities … leaders of Indigenous governance organizations, and 100s of thousands of British Columbians who DID in fact believe Premier David Eby’s BC NDP were out of touch.

Just three days ago Kelowna Conservative MLAs let the public know about the abrupt six-week closure of the pediatric inpatient unit at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) – a closure of deep concern for health professionals and families across the region.

Does the NDP feel that raising this concern is out of touch with what matters to everyday British Columbians?  I certainly hope not.

Here’s another one … this from May 26.

In a landmark moment for families across the province, Bill M 204 – The Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, introduced by MLA Jody Toor, officially passed its final vote in the B.C. Legislature and is now headed to Royal Assent.

The Bill requires the Minister of Health to develop and publicly table a provincial strategy to support mental health during and after pregnancy. The strategy will include timely access to services, culturally safe and trauma-informed care, provider training, and grief counselling for pregnancy loss.

Does David Eby also feel this legislation, put forward by the BC Conservatives, is “out of touch with what matters” to everyday British Columbians?

If your answer is Yes, David Eby, you would be very much in the wrong.

On May 14, Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko announced the withdrawal of her Private Member Bill — the Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025 — after an agreement by the Minister of Health to take immediate action to support the involvement of families in the admission and discharge of patients under the Mental Health Act.

Again the efforts of Conservatives in the B.C. legislature will hopefully (if the NDP government follows through) about changes Health Minister Josie Osborne committed to.  They are:

Creating a standalone policy document to support the involvement of families in the admission and discharge of patients under the Mental Health Act (MHA) … and … working with Health Authorities to improve and standardize MHA education and training for staff interacting with patients under the MHA.

Once again, I believe we would be hard pressed to find a British Columbian who does not believe these two things are very much needed.

THAT’S FIVE THINGS in just the month of May alone … just a small example of what Conservatives have been fighting for, on behalf of British Columbians, week after week since the Spring Session began on Feb. 19.

B.C.’s Conservatives are NOT out of touch with British Columbians.  No, IN FACT, they are very much IN touch.

And in fighting against authoritarian rule, as brought forward by Eby’s NDP government in Bills 7, 14, and 15, you can be guaranteed that Conservatives will indeed try to bring his government down when the legislature goes back in session this fall.

Finally, going back to the email for a moment. It also touched on what they called … preserving all the good work we’ve done for people in the last seven years.

Good work?

Unemployment is up … forestry is practically on life support with thousands thrown out of work and numerous mill closures … people suffering from severe mental distress roam the streets … people going about their everyday lives fear being attacked, injured, or worse killed … men, women and even children have been dying from so-called safer supply drugs. These, and many other things, do indeed matter to everyday British Columbians.

Yesterday, John Rustad’s BC Conservative had this to say:

When the NDP failed to act, we led. We brought families into the Legislature, fought for local infrastructure, and forced the government to reverse course on dangerous policies and partisan appointments. Michael Bryant is gone. Angel Flights funding is restored. The Atlantic Power deal is back on the table.

 From the carbon tax repeal to real wins on mental health and affordability, we proved that even from opposition, we can deliver results. That’s the kind of leadership British Columbians deserve — and that’s the kind of leadership we are committed to providing.

 British Columbians deserve a government that listens and acts. This session, that leadership came from the Official Opposition. We proved that even from across the aisle, we can force better outcomes — for families, for safety, for affordability, and for the future of this province.

That’s a strong a powerful message, I believe, from a real government in waiting.

So YES, do everything you can, Mr. Rustad, to bring the NDP down … do it as quickly as you can.

Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident. For 40 years he has been active, in a number of capacities, in local, provincial and federal politics, including running as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election. He is secretary of the Conservative Party of B.C. He blogs at Thoughts on BC Politics and More.