Another day, and another high-profile member of the BC United caucus defects to the John Rustad led BC Conservative Party. This time, that member was Elenore Sturko, a rising star BCU MLA in Surrey, former RCMP leader and member of the LGBTQ2+ community.
While Lorne Doerkson was somber at his press conference last week, Sturko was noticeably jubilant in her press conference announcing her move.
Regardless of the reasons for her glee, she is joining a party that has, as recently as last week, had a candidate step down for extreme statements about a variety of topics and people, including the LGBTQ2+ community. It’s a tricky look for an MLA that joined in a by-election to realize change and who was likely heading towards an incredibly bright political future with the BCU.
During Sturko’s press conference, she stated that big tent parties need to manage all of the personalities at the table, and that Kevin Falcon wasn’t doing that.
I can get on-board with the idea that leading a big-tent, coalition-based political party takes a lot of work. Gordon Campbell did it, Christie Clark did it, and there are many other examples. But, to imply that the BC Conservative Party is a “big-tent, coalition” is an epic misnomer.
Sturko’s comments are further confusing for someone who so adamantly attacked the BC Conservatives and their leader, and applauded in the legislature when Premier David Eby affirmed his government’s stance on SOGI.
Losing Doerkson was a hit for BC United and a loss for the north. He’s a well-respected politician, works hard for his constituents and, according to reports, was forced to make the move by his riding association, which includes his predecessor, Donna Barnett.
Ultimately, however, rural and northern communities in B.C. are the ones that lose in all of this.
Big-tent parties must work together
Despite repeated claims that defections and candidates are going to the BC Conservatives as the only viable option to defeat the NDP, they miss the point that the election will be won or lost in the Lower Mainland and BC United (formerly, BC Liberals) have a history and track record of building projects, managing the economy and reigning in spending.
The BC Conservatives are doing everything in their power to obfuscate their non-affiliation to the federal party that holds the same name. Strategically, it’s a smart play. The federal Conservatives hold an impressive advantage and the electorate is tired of virtue signalling, a failed economy and spiralling costs.
With all this back-and-forth unfolding on the right, moderates, centrists, and economically minded voters
struggle to rationalize their vote, while the BC NDP count the potential vote splits and new ridings they’ll pick up if the chaos continues.
It’s often said that we do best when minority governments are in control, which is effectively what free-
enterprise coalitions have accomplished in B.C. for years. Big tent parties, or coalition governments, cannot push too hard to one side or the other. They must learn to work together and align their platform to the desires of the electorate.
Let’s hope this isn’t a road to perdition for the political right and instead the beginning of a constructive realignment where good ideas rule the day.