Former B.C. United MLA courts centrist voters with new political party
Karin Kirkpatrick launched Centre B.C. party after Kevin Falcon refused to resign as B.C. United leader
Former MLA Karin Kirkpatrick has launched a new political party, Centre B.C., after abandoning attempts to get Kevin Falcon to step down as leader of B.C. United, formerly B.C. Liberals.
Kirkpatrick said she was left politically homeless when Falcon withdrew B.C. United from last year's provincial election campaign — and so were many political centrists like her.
"There are a lot of federal Liberals who were homeless and voted for the NDP in the last election. We're giving them an opportunity to come back to us," Kirkpatrick told CBC News during a visit to Victoria, accompanied by her 22-year-old daughter.
"We've seen so much divisive conversation in politics over the last year … a lot of people in British Columbia were looking for an alternative that was more balanced," said Kirkpatrick, who represented West Vancouver-Capilano from 2020 to 2024.
Kirkpatrick ran unsuccessfully as an Independent in the last provincial election. That riding was won by B.C. Conservative Lynne Block.
"After the last election where a number of us [former B.C. Liberal MLAs] ran as Independents, we have been contacted by literally thousands of people who are really asking for this," she said.
She admits starting a political party from scratch is difficult — and expensive. But it was the only option after Kirkpatrick realized the B.C. United board was not willing to push Falcon out as leader, making it impossible to rebuild the party.
Party officials have maintained they're focused on paying their debts and can't afford a leadership race right now.
CBC News asked Falcon for an interview. He declined, but in a text message, he said: "The board asked me to stay on only to allow them to avoid the costs and logistics involved in organizing a leadership convention while they focus instead on repaying outstanding obligations. On that basis, I agreed to do so."
"We're here today because Kevin Falcon still refuses to resign as leader," said Kareem Allam, a political strategist with Richardson Strategy Group.
Allam worked on Falcon's leadership campaign in 2022, but publicly backed the B.C. NDP during October's provincial election.
He said the anger many still feel for the way Falcon unilaterally threw in the towel could be channeled into "momentum and energy that can drive into the centrist party."
"There hasn't really been a home for centrist voters," Allam said.
Allam said he sees a situation where Centre B.C. can eat away at the vote share for the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Conservatives.
"It's going to hurt both parties that currently dominate the Legislature," he said.
While the next provincial election is three and a half years away, Kirkpatrick said the party is aiming to attract federal Liberals who are energized by Mark Carney's campaign.
"I think [people] are coming back to the centre. Over the last few years, it has been very left and very right. You've even seen the B.C. Conservatives split themselves."
She's referring to the three former B.C. Conservatives — Dallas Brodie, Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong — who left the party last month and accused John Rustad of overseeing a toxic party that has abandoned Conservative principles.
Before her political career, Kirkpatrick worked in the non-profit sector, was the assistant dean of UBC's Sauder School of Business and led the Real Estate Foundation of B.C.
She said that experience informs Centre B.C.'s core principles of fiscal responsibility and social support for British Columbians struggling with the affordability crisis.
As for the party's name, Kirkpatrick said she learned lessons from the rebranding of the B.C. Liberals to B.C. United, which most party insiders say was a flop.
"It was really hard for people to engage and understand what the values were," she said. "So I don't think there's anything that can be more clear than Centre B.C."
When asked about the new party, Premier David Eby wished Kirkpatrick luck.
"The former B.C. Liberal Party is fracturing into multiple parts these days. I guess we'll see where everything lands."
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