British Columbia Party

Last updated
British Columbia Party
Active provincial party
Leader Vacant
PresidentGraham Gifford
Founded1998 (1998)
Headquarters7665 Sapperton Ave.
Burnaby, British Columbia
V3N 4C9
Ideology Traditional conservatism
Social conservatism
Populism
Colours Blue

The British Columbia Party is a right-wing political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia, founded in 1998 as a populist party by John Motiuk, a North Vancouver lawyer.

Contents

The party did not nominate candidates in the 2001 provincial election. It nominated two candidates for the 2005 provincial election: David Andrew Wright, who won 185 votes (0.86% of the total) in Delta North, and Jack Kortmeyer, who won 169 votes (1.39% of the total) in Bulkley Valley-Stikine. It did not nominate candidates in the 2009 provincial election.

The party was one of five whose members merged to form the British Columbia Unity Party, but like all but one of the others, the party later left BC Unity.

The party ran three candidates in the 2013 general election: Carra-Lynn Hodgson in North Vancouver-Lonsdale, Trevor Hendry in Skeena, and Jim Laurence in Surrey-White Rock. [1] [2]

It did not nominate candidates in the 2017 general election.

Leadership

The party was led by former Social Credit leader Eric Buckley. Buckley was ousted by the party's board of directors, and replaced by former Reform Party of BC Leader Wilf Hanni.

Hanni was subsequently ousted by the board and replaced by Grant Mitton. Mitton, a popular former radio talk show host, had run as a candidate for Social Credit in 2001, winning over 17% of the vote in his riding. He left the moribund Socreds to join the British Columbia Party as a "traditional conservative party", hoping to attract support from conservatives, particularly social conservatives dissatisfied with the policies of the ruling British Columbia Liberal Party.

Mitton and Hanni left the BC Party, and joined the British Columbia Conservative Party.

Party program

Founding philosophy

The philosophy of the British Columbia Party is rooted in traditional conservatism: the protection and preservation of whatever is beneficial, respect for the individual, economic responsibility, and government which is enabling, not restrictive. Essential components of the philosophy:

  1. Honouring the will of the people as the highest authority in a democratic society, obeying the mandate of the majority while respecting the rights and opinions of the minority.
  2. Recognition that the individual is the most important element in an organized society, and that government must protect individual citizens' inalienable rights and remain responsive to their potential and their needs.
  3. Responsible management of public affairs by government, to achieve the objectives of the electorate, ensuring that what is physically possible and morally correct is financially viable.
  4. Security of person and property.
  5. Belief in the supremacy of God and the rule of law as declared in the Constitution of Canada.

Policy and principles

  1. While members of the legislature are responsible primarily to their constituents, they must vote in accordance with party principles. In issues not guided by party principles, they must be allowed to vote freely, in accordance with their consciences and the best interests of their constituents.
  2. The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and all their members will be held fully accountable for the execution of their duties and all their activities in the public arena.
  3. The government is responsible for protecting the rights and freedoms of all citizens. These include the right to life; freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, association and movement; the right to own private property, and equality before the law.
  4. Taxes must be responsible and fair. A balanced budget must be maintained.
  5. The private sector is recognized as the most effective and equitable area for job creation and economic stability.
  6. A balanced labour/management relationship must be maintained to encourage investment and stimulate job creation.
  7. There must be simultaneous and coordinated management of natural resources and protection of the environment to provide maximum sustainable benefit for the citizens of British Columbia.
  8. Social security and supporting infrastructure must balance the roles of government, individuals and charities, with services provided efficiently and effectively.
  9. An educational system providing the highest standards of academic opportunities must be universally available, with full public funding for the education of every minor and freedom for parents to choose the mode of education most suitable to each child's individual needs within that system.
  10. A comprehensive health care system must be based on accessibility and portability for the user, affordability and accountability for the government. Priority health care disbursements will be given to essential services.

See also

Related Research Articles

The British Columbia Liberal Party, often shortened to the BC Liberals, is a centre-right provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition. Subsequent to the 2020 British Columbia general election, then–party leader Andrew Wilkinson announced his resignation on October 26, 2020, but remained as interim leader until Shirley Bond was chosen as the new interim leader on November 23; the party held a leadership election in 2022, which was won by Kevin Falcon.

The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.

The Conservative Party of Canada, colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance, the latter being the successor of the Western Canadian-based Reform Party. The party sits at the centre-right to the right of the Canadian political spectrum, with their federal rival, the Liberal Party of Canada, positioned to their left. The Conservatives are defined as a "big tent" party, practising "brokerage politics" and welcoming a broad variety of members, including "Red Tories" and "Blue Tories".

British Columbia Social Credit Party Political party in British Columbia, Canada

The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing provincial political party of British Columbia, Canada, for all but three years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election. For four decades, the party dominated the British Columbian political scene, with the only break occurring between the 1972 and 1975 elections when the British Columbia New Democratic Party governed.

The Canadian social credit movement is a political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds in English and créditistes in French. It gained popularity and its own political party in the 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression.

British Columbia Unity Party Political party in Canada

The British Columbia Unity Party was a political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party was founded as an attempted union of five conservative parties: the Reform Party of British Columbia, the British Columbia Social Credit Party, the British Columbia Conservative Party, the British Columbia Party, and the Family Coalition Party of British Columbia. Members from the first four parties joined with the Family Coalition Party to refound the Family Coalition Party as the BC Unity Party on January 10, 2001. The party was formed to present a united conservative option to voters in opposition to the centre-right BC Liberals and the centre-left New Democratic Party (NDP).

Christian Heritage Party of Canada Political party in Canada

The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a minor social conservative and Christian right federal political party in Canada; it was founded in 1987, the brainchild of two couples in British Columbia, namely Bill and Heather Stilwell who were Roman Catholics and Ed Vanwoudenberg and his wife, Reformed Protestants. From its humble beginnings, CHP has been a home for both Catholic and Protestant Christians as well as all who share Christian Values. CHP advocates for Canada to be governed according to Christian principles and ethics. The party's stated principle is that "the purpose of civil government is to ensure security, freedom, and justice for all its citizens from conception till natural death, by upholding just laws". CHP states that, if the party forms government, it hopes to "apply proven Judeo-Christian principles of justice and compassion to Canada's contemporary public policy needs".

Social Credit Party of Canada Political party in Canada

The Social Credit Party of Canada, colloquially known as the Socreds, was a populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform. It was the federal wing of the Canadian social credit movement.

The Conservative Party of British Columbia is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. In the early half of the 20th century, the Conservatives competed with the British Columbia Liberal Party for power in the province. Since the 1950s however, the party has had only a minor presence, not having elected a member of the Legislative Assembly in a general election since 1975. The last sitting MLA for the Conservatives was John van Dongen, who briefly crossed the floor to the party in 2012 before leaving to sit as an independent.

Reform Party of British Columbia Former political party in British Columbia, Canada

The Reform Party of British Columbia is an unregistered right-wing populist 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.

Your Political Party of British Columbia, or simply Your Party, is a minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party is registered with Elections BC and has participated in the 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017 general elections. The party advocates more transparency and accountability in government. It nominated one candidate in 2005, two in 2009 and 2013, and 10 in 2017, all in the Tri-Cities area. No Your Party candidate has been elected to office as of 2017. Its best result was a fourth-place finish with 442 votes (1.68%) in Port Moody-Westwood in 2005.

Conservatism in Canada Overview of conservatism in Canada

Conservatism in Canada is generally considered to be primarily represented by the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada in federal party politics, and by various centre-right and right-wing parties at the provincial level. The first party calling itself "Conservative" in what would become Canada was elected in the Province of Canada election of 1854.

Wilf Hanni

Wilf Hanni is a politician and oil industry consultant in British Columbia, Canada. Hanni served as leader of the Reform Party of BC from August 30, 1997 to June 1998, and later as leader of the British Columbia Party, and the BC Conservative Party. He was the leader of the Christian Heritage Party of BC until 2013 when he stepped down due to family health issues.

Politics of British Columbia

The Politics of British Columbia involves not only the governance of British Columbia, Canada, and the various political factions that have held or vied for legislative power, but also a number of experiments or attempts at political and electoral reform.

In American politics, fusionism is the philosophical and political combination or "fusion" of traditionalist and social conservatism with political and economic right-libertarianism. The philosophy is most closely associated with Frank Meyer.

George Heyman Canadian politician

George Heyman is a former social, environmental and labour activist and now a politician in British Columbia. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election, representing the district of Vancouver-Fairview as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.

Grant Mitton is a former radio talk show host on CJDC (AM) Radio's open line program and political leader in British Columbia, Canada. On March 7, 2001, he was appointed a vice president of the Reform Party of British Columbia, and he was a candidate of the British Columbia Social Credit Party in the 2001 provincial election in Peace River South, placing second with 1,726 votes, 17.33% of the total. He became leader of the Social Credit Party, but then left it to join the British Columbia Party as a "traditional conservative party", hoping to attract support from conservatives, particularly social conservatives dissatisfied with the policies of the ruling British Columbia Liberal Party. He led the party during the 2005 election. The party nominated only two candidates who won 362 votes. Mitton did not run in the election. He subsequently left the BC Party, and joined the British Columbia Conservative Party.

BC Refederation Party Political party in British Columbia

The BC Refederation Party was a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada advocating for a direct democracy and reforms to Canadian federalism. It was formed shortly after the 2000 federal election as the Western Independence Party of British Columbia with an explicit western separatist platform; it later renamed itself the Western Refederation Party of British Columbia before adopting its final name.

Christian Heritage Party of British Columbia Provincial political party in Canada

The Christian Heritage Party of British Columbia is a minor provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada and a provincial wing of the federal Christian Heritage Party of Canada. The party advocates in favour of establishing a constitution to govern the province of British Columbia. The party registered with Elections BC in September 2010. A leadership election was held in 2011 between Wilf Hanni and Mischa Popoff, in which Hanni was re-confirmed as leader. Following internal party disputes, several members left to join the Individual Rights Party of British Columbia, including Mischa Popoff who became that party's leader. Hanni stepped down in 2013 due to family health issues and Rod Taylor became the interim leader. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson was elected as the party's leader on September 15, 2020. Thompson previously ran as a candidate for the People's Party of Canada in the 2019 Burnaby South federal by-election.

Laurie Throness Canadian politician

Laurie Throness is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Chilliwack-Kent as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party. After making controversial remarks regarding the NDP's free contraception plan, he resigned from the BC Liberal Party caucus on October 15, 2020. He will run as an independent candidate for 2020 BC general election. Before becoming a politician, Throness earned a place at the University of Cambridge where he studied for a Ph.D in History. After Cambridge, he went on to publish a book in 2008 on the theological origins of the Penitentiary Act of 1779.

References

  1. "List of Candidates - General Election 2013" (PDF). Elections BC. 2013-04-26. Retrieved 2013-05-14.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "Registered Political Parties - Information" (PDF). Elections BC. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2013-05-14.