Another BC United MLA Quits to Join Provincial Conservatives

A sign displaying the B.C. Conservative Party logo in Victoria on Dec. 6, 2023. The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito

Another BC United Party MLA and caucus chair has left the party to join the ranks of the Conservative Party of B.C.

MLA Lorne Doerkson was elected for the BC Liberals in 2020 in the central B.C. riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin. In 2023 the BC Liberals became BC United.

On May 31 Mr. Doerkson announced that he was joining the BC Conservatives, saying he believed it is the only party that can beat the incumbent NDP in this October’s provincial election.

“My priority is defeating the radical BC NDP and it is now clear that the Conservative Party of BC is the only vehicle capable of getting the job done,” Mr. Doerkson said in a news release.

“I have spent countless hours listening to my constituents in the recent months. The response has been overwhelming. The residents of Cariboo-Chilcotin want to see David Eby defeated and they want to see a common sense Conservative government in Victoria,” he said.

Conservative Leader John Rustad said he was happy to have Mr. Doerkson on the team.

“As the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, Lorne has been a tireless advocate for his region and the vital resources within it,” Mr. Rustad said in the release, adding believes Mr. Doerkson will be a “strong Conservative MLA.”

“Whether it’s natural resources or small business, Lorne is an individual who puts his constituents first and that is exactly the kind of advocate we need in the Legislature.”

The move comes after speculation that the Conservatives and BC United Party were discussing a possible merger. However, on May 24, BC United Party Leader Kevin Falcon said the Conservatives had rejected a deal for the two parties to work together to beat the NDP.

Mr. Falcon said Mr. Rustad turned down a non-competition agreement not to run opposing candidates against each other in the same riding.

However, Mr. Rustad said it was the BC United leader who prevented cooperation, dismissing Mr. Falcon as “unserious and dishonest” in talks about working together.

Before joining the Conservatives, Mr. Doerkson was the BC United’s caucus chair and shadow minister for emergency management and climate readiness, and water, land, and resource stewardship.

Growth of BC Conservatives

The Conservative Party in B.C. started on its path to growth after Aaron Gunn decided to rebrand the party in 2022. Mr. Gunn made the move after BC United executives prevented him from running for leadership of the party in 2021 over social media comments.

In February 2023, then-independent MLA John Rustad joined the party and became leader the next month.

Mr. Rustad had been kicked out of BC United after sharing a post on social media saying carbon dioxide is an essential element of life rather than a catalyst for global warming.

At the time, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said Mr. Rustad did not represent the party’s position on climate change.

In September 2023, Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman left BC United to join the Conservatives, giving the party official status in the legislature.

The next provincial election in B.C. is scheduled for Oct. 19.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.