Current B.C. United MLA Dan Davies (Peace River-North) will be running as an Independent in the upcoming provincial election and sees himself playing a bigger role after the Conservative Party of B.C. did not invite him to join their roster of candidates.
Davies announced his candidacy Thursday (Sept. 5) in his home-town of Fort St. John, stressing his local connections.
"As an independent, I have committed to continuing to represent this riding and this now gives me absolute free rein to represent and to speak on the issue," he said. Those issues include health care, development of the natural resource sector in British Columbia's northeast, public safety and housing. He also pointed to infrastructure needs such replacing the Taylor Bridge over the Peace River, connecting Dawson Creek and Fort St. John near the community of Taylor.
Davies also used the occasion to criticize the decision of Kevin Falcon to suspend the party's campaign in describing it as an "absolute gut-punch" that caught him and his B.C. United colleagues off-guard.
"I'm very disappointed in Kevin's decision as we were not consulted," he said.
Davies also gave Falcon's decision a regional dimension.
"This (suspension), I feel, was another decision that was made for me and us up here by backroom deals that happen in Vancouver or in Victoria, just like a lot of decisions that always leave us here in the North out of decisions that are made down south for us," he said. "I will continue to be focused on folks in Peace River-North, making sure again, that we have a stable, viable representative that is experienced and has shown much success
In fact, Davies signalled his willingness to turn the tables in asserting the influence of northern British Columbia, possibly in partnership with other independents, such as Mike Bernier, the current B.C. United MLA for Peace River-South.
Davies said observers are expecting a record number of independents running in this year's election. "(They) could very well become the power brokers in a legislature that is looking like it might be a minority government," he said.
When asked whether that might involve independents forming their own party, Davies hedged his bets.
"I appreciate the question," he said. "It's really hard to predict what things will look like," he said. "There might be strength in remaining as an independent to have that power brokerage (ability). The other side is...I will always be open to discussions. Again, I will do what is right for Peace River-North."
Conservatives had already nominated Jordan Kealy and Davies said he never received a call from the Conservatives.
"I did wait to see if there was the opportunity to have that decision, but I was not approached."
Davies added that he stood for "principled Conservative values" his entire political career, noting his past roles in federal Conservative politics.
"I will say a Progressive Conservative, and I think it's important to make that difference, when we do see many things on either side, the far right or the far left that there not necessarily good decisions being made for British Columbians."
He added that fiscal conservatism has always been very important to him, while also "having a social conscience" that recognizes diversity, the need for a strong education system and social supports when people need them. "Nobody wants to be far left, nobody wants to be far right."
Davies' decision to run as an independent comes after three of his caucus colleagues -- Trevor Halford, Peter Milobar and Ian Paton — had declared for the Conservatives.
When asked for his reaction to seeing those names, Davies said he won't "disparage" his former colleagues.
"Every riding is unique," he said. "Each of them have their own story."
He added that the Conservatives have some candidates with some "pretty far-right views" which are not "generally acceptable" to society.
"So seeing Peter Milobar and Ian Paton and Trevor Halford now sitting around there plus other candidates like Kiel Giddens in Prince George, we are aligned in many things," Davies said. "So John (Rustad) is going to have to lean on them and they are hopefully going to be some of the centrist voices that are going to be around that table.
"Again, I wish them all luck. It's their decision that was made on behalf of them and their riding."
