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The British Columbia Democratic Alliance was a political party at the provincial level in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third-most populous province.
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Canada's southern border with the United States is the world's longest bi-national land border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Consequently, its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, many near the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.
It was founded in June 2004 by "individuals who are progressive in their policies, democratic in their principles, and represent an alliance of interests reflecting the future of British Columbia as a strong and equal partner in a united Canada." Its founders, former supporters of the Progressive Democratic Alliance, had hoped to resuscitate the old party which had been moribund since Gordon Wilson's defection to the NDP. For financial reasons (the PDA reportedly had $60,000 in bad debts), they instead chose to create a new entity.
The Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) was a centrist political party in British Columbia, Canada founded by Gordon Wilson, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Powell River—Sunshine Coast.
Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1999, before joining the NDP where he served in the provincial cabinet. He also ran as a candidate in the 2000 BC New Democratic Party leadership race. During the 2013 British Columbia provincial election, Wilson endorsed Liberal Premier Christy Clark for re-election over the NDP's Adrian Dix.
The BCDA believed:
- that every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability;
- that all persons are endowed with an inherent worth and dignity;
- that the role of government is:
- to develop laws to protect the public trust, which is the environment;
- to provide law and order, which allows social harmony; and
- to provide comprehensive health care, adequate and effective education, and a social safety net for those who cannot otherwise provide for themselves.
The social safety net is a collection of services provided by the state or other institutions such as friendly societies. It includes welfare, unemployment benefit, universal healthcare, right to healthcare, free education, right to housing, legal aid, victims' rights, mutual funds, superfund for pensioners and veterans, workers compensation, severance package, consumer protection, social credit, private electricity, homeless shelters, and sometimes subsidized services such as public transport, which prevent individuals from falling into poverty beyond a certain level.
In autumn 2004, the party formed the British Columbia Democratic Coalition with three other small parties: the British Columbia Moderate Democratic Movement, the Citizens Action Party, and Link BC.
The British Columbia Democratic Coalition (BCDC) was a short-lived coalition of minor political parties in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in September 2004 to bring together four minor parties: the British Columbia Democratic Alliance, the British Columbia Moderate Democratic Movement, the Citizens Action Party and Link BC. The British Columbia Labour Party joined shortly thereafter.
The British Columbia Moderate Democratic Movement was a minor political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
The Citizens Action Party was a minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. It was formed in 2002 as a protest movement of senior citizens against their perceived victimization by the BC Liberal Party. Its leader was Bill Savage.
On January 15, 2005, the British Columbia Democratic Coalition participated in the founding convention of Democratic Reform British Columbia (DRBC) in which it merged with the Reform Party of British Columbia and All Nations Party of British Columbia.
Democratic Reform British Columbia was a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
The Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with it. Their peak of support came in 1996 when they elected two members to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
The All Nations Party was a minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. Its primary base of support was the First Nations aboriginal peoples of Canada.
The DRBC calls itself a "socially progressive, fiscally conservative" centrist political party.
