FORSETH – Do you want some of what you’re hoping for, or nothing at all?
YESTERDAY CAME NEWS that most (many) conservative leaning B.C. voters have come to dread, time and time again – the formation of another splinter party – and it’s nothing new. This has happened repeatedly in the many years I have been involved in B.C. politics, going back far more years than I care to remember.
Just for interest’s sake, this morning, I looked to see how many political party names have been registered, with Elections BC, in just the past 10 years. Care to take a guess?
A dozen? Two dozen? No, it is actual 36 – THREE dozen.
And how many are ‘currently’ registered as political parties in B.C.? It’s a baker’s dozen – just 13.
The latest iteration goes by the name of One BC, and has two former Conservative Party of BC MLAs as its members. They are Dallas Brodie, who many will recall was kicked out of the party for her taunting words and tone regarding residential school survivors, and Tara Armstrong who left in support of her. At this point, a third former BC Conservative MLA, Jodan Kealy from Peace River North, remains an independent.
To be blunt and totally up front, all I can say is I hope this party fails — and ‘Yes,” full disclosure, I am a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party of BC.
As typically happens, far too often, a handful of conservatives splinter into MINOR factions with NO HOPE of ever being elected due to the narrow focus of policy, because they can only appeal to a fraction of voters in British Columbia.
All this does is remind me of what someone told me many years ago; “Do you want some of what you’re hoping for, or nothing at all.”
This of course is just my opinion, however, I believe anyone thinking of supporting One BC really needs to keep this in mind.
INFORMATION YOU CAN CHECK OUT:
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.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Is this what you want the people of BC to vote for? It’s sad that you criticize Eby. This tells more about your party then it does about the ones you criticize?
B.C. Opposition Leader John Rustad accuses former Conservative MLAs of blackmail
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The problem facing conservative style parties across Canada is that they always get bamboozled by the U.S. Mulroney was duped by Ronald Reagen and he lost . Bush wanted us to go into Iraq and the Liberals won because they said no. Trudeau lasted longer than he would have because he did way better than the U.S during covid. Finally Polievrere ran as a mini Trump and lost his riding and the election. Conservatives would be wise to distance from Danielle Smith and Preston Manning who want to join the U.S. It is simple history
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Maybe you can spend sometime Allan in trying to mediate a truce about the extremes amongst the conservatives because we need a strong, united antagonistic force against the NDP.
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Those two are terrifying. If John Rustad threw them out … then they really are unhinged, and using some new party redirect as a way to politically justify their existence.
I don’t really have a problem with it at this time if they manage to gather attention for this party … assuming that the Conservatives are still led by Rustad by the next election, as they will carve the most convoy, anti-indigenous group of anti-vaxer voter from the Conservatives … and keep Rustad out of power in Victoria.
Not an NDP Eby fan at all … but at least they aren’t the alternative.
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Mr.Forseth your support for the Conservative Party of BC ignores its history of instability and division, as outlined in the article, which undermines its credibility to criticize opposing parties. The article notes that 36 political party names have been registered with Elections BC, in just the past 10 years, with only 13 currently active, and highlights the formation of yet another splinter party, One BC, led by two former Conservative MLAs, Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong. This pattern of conservatives fracturing into minor factions with narrow policy focuses, as the article states, ensures they have “NO HOPE of ever being elected” due to their limited voter appeal.
Your comment defends a party that has repeatedly changed names, like a chameleon changing its colour, and lost members to infighting, as evidenced by Brodie’s expulsion for controversial remarks and Armstrong’s departure in solidarity. This ongoing fragmentation, as the article emphasizes, reduces the party’s effectiveness and leaves it with little room to criticize others for opposing the current system. Your stance reflects a desire to perpetuate an undemocratic process, akin to the article’s quote, “Do you want some of what you’re hoping for, or nothing at all,” which prioritizes party loyalty over broader representation. How can you criticize other parties when your own has such a fragmented and unstable track record?
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