Based on the first week, the new B.C. Conservative caucus is going to get attention in the legislature way out of proportion to its numbers (two).
In just a few days, the new fourth party prompted a furious argument over the sexual orientation gender ID issue, incurred two tongue-lashings from Premier David Eby and pulled a stunt on the Speaker that prompted open disgust on the floor of the house.
Eby portrayed himself as horrified at what they represent. But strategically, the NDP couldn’t be happier to see a hard-right party start chipping away at the BC United base.
The official opposition, meanwhile, is six months into rebranding away from the BC Liberal days and still groping for name recognition.
It’s seeking a balance between strident criticism of NDP ineptitude while endorsing some key government positions, like safe supply of hard drugs.
Now, BC United Party Leader Kevin Falcon has to keep an eye on his right flank and ensure another caucus member doesn’t bolt to the new team, as former BC United MLA Bruce Banman did last month.
One more defection and people will start using ironic air quotes around the phrase “BC United.”
John Rustad’s debut as Conservative leader was a dramatic one. The former cabinet minister in the party’s predecessor BC Liberal government was ejected from the BC United caucus last year over his skepticism about climate change.
He sat quietly as an independent for a while then joined the Conservatives and became leader soon after.
Quiet no more, he stood this week to cite concerns from thousands of people, “many of them from minority communities” about school children being “sexualized” by the SOGI program. He demanded an admission from the NDP that it’s a “divisive assault on parents’ rights.”
Liberals created it, and BC Greens back it. So Conservatives are the only party attacking it. Rustad embraces the distinction, sarcastically referring to the “uniparty” legislature.
Eby’s response was a visceral moment in the house. He was outraged that Rustad, who supported the Liberals’ creation of the program, was “picking on kids, families, teachers and schools who are just trying to do their best for kids who are at risk of suicide.
“Shame on him. Choose another question.”
That prompted a spontaneous standing ovation that even most BC United MLAs joined. Opposition tributes like that to a premier in question period verge on unprecedented.
A handful of BC United MLAs didn’t rise. Maybe it was just confusion in the moment, or something deeper.
The next day, Banman pushed another hot button.
He stood “as a distraught father and grandfather” to cite deep concern about a book in school libraries. It’s a young adult novel about teen angst. Banman asked MLAs to brace themselves as he read out of context a snippet of dialogue with a revolting explicitly sexual insult.
Speaker Raj Chouhan called him on it instantly. Which is exactly what Banman wanted: He had to retract language in the legislature that is used in a school library book.
Eby later launched on the Conservatives again at a news conference , saying in just two days they had badly degraded the state of debate.
They are using culture war distractions to drive wedges in B.C. and “its not something we should tolerate here,” he said.
“It’s self-serving political interest and it’s the crassest I’ve ever seen.”
As for the NDP’s political advantage in seeing an upstart party with some momentum gain potential traction in the BC United vote, he said it is “completely lost in the fact this is a threat to our functioning democracy.
“There are a group of people that are deliberately spreading misinformation — lies — about our education system, about teachers, about librarians in our schools.”
Eby said they are building a “toxic power base” and has ordered an immediate communications campaign in schools to counter what he again called “lies.”
So two days into their adventure, the two Conservatives are considered a threat to democracy. It was rhetorical overreach by Eby, but it’s a measure of how much impact the two had.
The NDP may be revolted by the Conservatives, but going strictly by the numbers, they welcome their arrival.
BC United was quieter during the initial skirmish, but is even more dismayed by the duo’s new position in the house. There is no upside for them in a vote split.
With a national tide running against middling parties, the Conservatives are going to be a problem for BC United that could get steadily worse.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
