BC United (BCU), formerly known as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party has been described as conservative, neoliberal, and being on the centre-right of the left–right political spectrum. The party commonly describes itself as a "free enterprise coalition" and draws support from members of both the federal Liberal and Conservative parties. Since the 1990s, BC United has been the main centre-right opposition to the centre-left New Democratic Party (NDP). Once affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada, the British Columbia Liberal Party became independent in 1987. The party changed its name to BC United on April 12, 2023.
The Conservative Party of British Columbia, formerly known as the British Columbia Conservative Party or BC Conservatives, 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. However, the party has had only a minor presence in the legislature since the 1950s, and last ran a full slate in 1960. The current party leader is Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, who was originally elected as a BC Liberal.
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The other component of Parliament is the lieutenant governor of British Columbia. The assembly has 87 elected members and meets in Victoria. Members are elected from provincial ridings and are referred to as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor in the name of the King of Canada.
Gulzar Singh Cheema is an Indian-born Canadian physician and politician. Cheema was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1988 to 1993, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2001 to 2004, making him one of only a few Canadian politicians to sit in two provincial legislatures since Confederation. He is the first Indian-born person to be elected MLA in Canada. He was also a cabinet minister in the government of Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell from 2001 to 2004, and was a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal election of 2004.
Kevin Falcon is a Canadian provincial politician who is the leader of BC United and became the Leader of the Opposition in May 2022. He is the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the district of Vancouver-Quilchena, being elected in a byelection in April 2022. He formerly served as the MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale as a member of the then BC Liberals from 2001 to 2013. He served as both the 12th deputy premier of British Columbia, and the province's minister of Finance.
Abbotsford City Council is the governing body for the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Mike de Jong is a politician in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the electoral district of Matsqui from 1994 to 2001, Abbotsford-Mount Lehman from 2001 to 2009, and Abbotsford West since 2009. A caucus member of BC United, he served in several cabinet posts under premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, and ran for party leadership in 2011 and 2018.
Randy Clifford Hawes is a Canadian politician from British Columbia. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of BC, representing the provincial riding of Maple Ridge-Mission from 2001 to 2009, and Abbotsford-Mission from 2009 to 2013. As part of the British Columbia Liberal Party caucus, he served as Minister of State for Mining from 2009 to 2011 under Premier Gordon Campbell. He also served as mayor of Mission, British Columbia from 1993 to 2001, and from 2014 to 2018.
John van Dongen is a Canadian politician who formerly served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the riding of Abbotsford from 1995 to 2001, Abbotsford-Clayburn from 2001 to 2009, and Abbotsford South from 2009 to 2013. Part of the British Columbia Liberal Party caucus from 1995 to 2012, he served in several cabinet posts under Premier Gordon Campbell. He briefly sat in the legislature as a member of the BC Conservatives in 2012, before leaving that party later that year to serve out the remainder of his term as an independent politician.
John Rustad is a Canadian politician who is the current leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. He first became a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of British Columbia in 2005, representing Prince George–Omineca. He currently represents the constituency of Nechako Lakes, which he has held since the 2009 election. Previously a member of the BC Liberal caucus, he served in Premier Christy Clark's cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Abbotsford South is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, established by the Electoral Districts Act, 2008. It came into effect in the 2009 provincial general election.
Brenda Joy Locke is a Canadian politician, who served in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2001 to 2005 and is the current mayor of Surrey, British Columbia. She represented the electoral district of Surrey-Green Timbers as a member of the BC Liberal party. In 2022, Locke was elected as mayor of Surrey, defeating Doug McCallum.
Ellis Ross is a Canadian politician who was first elected in the 2017 British Columbia general election to represent Skeena. He was re-elected in 2020 and is currently serving his fifth year as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He is a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party caucus and serves as its Critic for Energy & LNG.
A British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election was held on February 3, 2018, due to the resignation of Christy Clark as Liberal leader on August 4, 2017. Rich Coleman was elected interim leader announcing that he has no intention of running for leader, but would resign as interim leader if he changed his mind, adding that he did not anticipate changing his mind.
Henry Braun is a Canadian politician and businessman. He served as the mayor of Abbotsford, British Columbia from 2014 to 2022.
The 2024 British Columbia general election will be held on or before October 19, 2024, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly to serve in the 43rd parliament of the Canadian province of British Columbia.
A British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election was held on February 5, 2022, to elect a new party leader, following the resignation of Andrew Wilkinson after the 2020 British Columbia general election. Kevin Falcon was declared the winner following the counting of the fifth ballot. This was the last leadership election under the name "BC Liberal Party", as the party changed its name to "BC United" in April 2023.
