Veteran British Columbia legislator Mike Bernier will run in the fall provincial election as an independent instead of joining several former BC United candidates in running under the B.C. Conservatives banner.
Bernier says he did not want to “bend” his morals and values by running with the provincial Conservatives, describing some of the party’s candidates as holding views that are “anti-women’s rights, anti-climate change” and “anti-First Nations.”
The Peace River South MLA had said previously that he might run as a B.C. Conservative if asked, but says when announcing his decision to go independent that he “never spoke to them at all.”
The B.C. political landscape underwent a seismic shift last week, when BC United Leader Kevin Falcon shut down the Official Opposition’s campaign while throwing support behind the Conservatives led by John Rustad.
A joint list of 140 previously endorsed candidates is being whittled down to fit the 93 ridings up for grabs, and three United MLAs — Ian Paton, Peter Milobar and Trevor Halford — on Tuesday announced they were running as Conservatives.
The shake up has also meant the shuffling and, in some cases, the dropping of former B.C. Conservative candidates in favour of those from BC United.
They include Dupinder Kaur Saran who has said she is also planning to run as an independent in Surrey-Panorama after losing party endorsement.
Kevin Acton, the mayor of Lumby and the former BC United candidate in the Vernon-Lumby riding, also announced he would be running as an independent after losing his endorsement in the shuffle.
“While the party model of government has certain benefits, it also has a number of obvious flaws - including the ability of a party leader to remove previously vetted and duly elected candidates from participation as that party’s candidate, without the benefit of consultation or agreement from local constituents or the declared candidate,” Acton said in a statement posted online.
The Conservative slot on the ballot in Vernon-Lumby is now slated to be filled by former Kamloops-Centre candidate Dennis Giesbrecht, who was moved from the Kamloops spot to make room for Milobar.
