By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer
On August 28, the BC United Party (formerly known as the BC Liberal Party) pulled out of the election and endorsed the BC Conservatives. While it may have shocked some, the indecisive nature of the party led to this result. BC United’s moral inconsistency shows they lack commitment and were better off pulling out. Their idea to float members of the party over to the Conservatives and publicly endorse them calls into question the integrity of the values they claim to uphold.
In May, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said he would not merge with the Conservatives because of the timing and the extremist ideals of Conservative candidates. Even with United’s promises to hire back unvaccinated workers, Falcon stated he still “can’t merge with a party that has candidates that equate vaccinations with Nazism or apartheid.” Why backtrack on this claim weeks before the election? Is this Falcon’s way of going with the lesser of two miseries to him, and compromising his so-called morals in favour of a chance at toppling the NDP? Or is this John Rustad and Falcon coming together and hand-picking a team of favourable MLA’s as stated in his letter?
The BC United rebranding was the death knell of this party — even United inadvertently admitted this when they sought to add their old name onto voting ballots. First, they attempted to distance themselves from liberalism with their name change, then they openly endorsed their Conservative opponents. Catering toward both sides of the isle feels like blatant pandering. It makes you wonder how BC United ever expected to be perceived as anything but BC Conservatives Lite. And the embarrassment of an announcement letter while praising someone you kicked off the Liberal caucus two years ago for climate denialism?
The displacement of members for “strategic advantage” by merging with the Conservatives further undermines the party’s integrity. It just leaves a bad taste in the mouth when a party so openly breaks trust with their supporters, effectively discarding all the party members’ work to build relationships with their riding. And what does it say about the Conservatives that they were so ready to take United members under their wing? What is even the difference between the two parties?
It’s beyond important to vote. If you care about the well-being of yourself and others, putting in your vote should be a high priority. You don’t have to know everything about these parties and their policies, but doing what you can to educate yourself is crucial. Although it may seem daunting, there are resources that break down the general ideas of each party, like we did at The Peak. Talking with peers, reading a variety of information from party websites and political analysts, and researching what your local riding is standing for can make a difference. The polls are closer than ever right now, so BC residents need to prioritize getting their vote in. Your vote isn’t just a paper ballot; it’s the power to shape your future — don’t let someone else make that decision for you.
