Make “Beautiful” B.C. “Great,” You Say?

Nominations, anyone? “Beautiful British Columbia” needs a new slogan, along the lines of the MAGA (Make American Great Again) movement in the United States.

Polls suggest that a party to rival Donald Trump’s, in attitude and policies, now has as much chance of winning power as the governing social democrats in B.C.’s election on Oct. 19.

The provincial Conservative Party of B.C., was far on the fringes until a few months ago. Now, it’s soaring in popularity. Leader John Rustad is a denier of human-caused climate change whose platform — much like that of America’s far-right — will review school books, remove environmental protections, and radically change social policies like Indigenous reconciliation.

His party’s sudden rise was just boosted by the abrupt folding of the other right-leaning party, B.C. United, previously known as the B.C. Liberals before a disastrous rebranding. B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon had been taunting Rustad as leader of the “Conspiracy Party just before he abruptly cancelled his party’s election campaign–and announced his endorsement of the Conservatives.

B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon, left, canceled his party’s election campaign and endorsed the Conservative Party of B.C. led by his former rival John Rustad, R.   Photo: Screenshot of news conference streamed on Facebook.

Perhaps Falcon’s Come-To-John moment was prompted by watching his party sinking to 10% in opinion polls.  Falcon told a joint news conference that he and Rustad, who was not just his foe but a man  he previously kicked out of the B.C. Liberal Party for denying climate change, now share the goal of defeating the governing New Democrats.

1. Excerpts from the Globe and Mail, Aug 28:“In May, Mr. Rustad told the Globe’s editorial board that it was “false” that humans burning fossil fuels are the cause of climate change … He went on to deny that climate change is a crisis…“Mr. Rustad also told the Globe his party envisions sweeping changes to schools, housing, climate and reconciliation with First Nations if it’s elected to form government on Oct. 19 for the first time in nearly a century….“As well, the party would strike a committee to review all school textbooks and literature to ensure they are “neutral,” Mr. Rustad said.

So now B.C.’s “right” is united and B.C.’s “left” is divided.

The voters who might oppose Mr. Rustad’s far-right platform are divided between the  social democratic NDP, led by David Eby, and Sonia Furstenau’s provincial Greens, which are polling at 10%. Those two parties would be likely, together, to garner more than 50 per cent of voter support and form the next government–as they have done in the past. However, they are bitterly split.

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B.C.’s First-Past-the-Post election system has zero room for nuance. This is unlikely to change anytime soon; Canadian eyes glaze at the phrase electoral reform and two attempts at reform in B.C. failed woefully.

Some Canadians, especially lefty West Coasters, seem oblivious to other examples of Canadian wackiness and are obnoxiously smug about America’s famously-wonky politics.

This is their wake-up call.

Screenshot from 338Canada on Aug 28.