Conservative Party of British Columbia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | John Rustad |
| President | Aisha Estey |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Preceded by | Liberal-Conservative Party (1903–1926) Conservative Party (1926–1942) Progressive Conservative Party (1942–1991) |
| Headquarters | 1434 Ironwood Street Unit 327 Campbell River, British Columbia V9W 5T5 |
| Membership (2024) |  ~9,000[1] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing |
| Colours | Blue |
| Legislative Assembly | 44 / 93 |
| Website | |
| conservativebc | |
The Conservative Party of British Columbia, commonly known as the BC Conservatives and colloquially known as the Tories, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.[2] It is the main rival to the governing British Columbia New Democratic Party and forms the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It is led by John Rustad, who was originally elected as a British Columbia Liberal Party MLA in 2005 before being expelled from the Liberal caucus in 2022.[3]
In the first half of the 20th century, the Conservatives competed with the BC Liberal Party for power in the province. During this period, three party leaders served as premier of British Columbia: Richard McBride (1903–1915), William John Bowser (1915–1916), and Simon Fraser Tolmie (1928–1933). Royal Maitland and Herbert Anscomb served as deputy premiers, both during the coalition governments of the 1940s. The party's influence diminished in the second half of the century, with the Conservatives having only a minor presence in the legislature after the 1950s. However, the party saw a resurgence under Rustad's leadership in the 2024 provincial election, winning the second-most seats in its best electoral performance in 72 years.[4][5]
While both of its members tend to support each other, and both parties have roughly the same platform, the BC Conservatives have no organizational link to the federal Conservative Party of Canada, and as such does not operate as their provincial wing in the province.
- ^ "B.C.'s unofficial election campaign is in full swing". CBC News. August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "B.C. Tories call for top doctor's job over continued vaccine mandates for health-care workers". Global News. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ MacLeod, Andrew [@A_MacLeod_Tyee] (February 16, 2023). "The BC Conservative Party has announced MLA John Rustad has joined them. Rustad has sat as an independent since the BC Liberals booted him out in August. #bcpoli" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "B.C. NDP poised to win 2024 election, with judicial recounts increasingly likely". CTV News British Columbia. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ "NDP closer to winning majority after overturning Conservative lead in critical Surrey riding". CBC News. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.