B.C. Conservative candidates painted as controversial win seats
Throughout campaign, NDP had focused on Conservative candidates for conspiracies in social media statements
Several B.C. Conservative candidates that were consistently targeted by the rival B.C. NDP for their past social media statements and behaviour — with the NDP making efforts to paint them as racist or endorsing conspiracy theories — have won their seats in the 2024 election, CBC News has declared.
Throughout the provincial election campaign, NDP leader David Eby had targeted Conservative Leader John Rustad and a number of his candidates, with Eby's main line of attack during the leaders' televised debate being to paint his opponents as conspiracy theorists who would cut government programs and provide tax cuts to the rich and powerful.
The NDP had primarily used past comments on social media to unearth a number of controversial views from Conservative candidates — from alleged anti-Palestinian racism, to comments about Indigenous peoples' incarceration rates and the alleged denial of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots by pro-Donald Trump supporters in Washington, D.C.
Before the candidate nomination deadline, the NDP had even released a list of seven Conservative candidates that the party charged with having "extreme and dangerous views."
But Conservative Leader John Rustad had consistently resisted calls to drop the controversial candidates, and said he would let voters decide on whether to send them to the Legislature.
"David Eby wants to talk about conspiracy theories because he cannot defend his government's policies," Rustad said at the televised debate on Oct. 8.
B.C.
NDP leader David Eby, right, and B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad
are pictured during a leaders debate. Eby consistently painted his
opponents as conspiracy theorists over the course of the campaign. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Series of controversial views
Beyond the NDP's efforts to paint Rustad as a conspiracy theorist — from releasing videos about him wanting to put health officials on trial and regretting getting COVID-19 shots — they also focused on a number of other Tory candidates throughout the campaign period.
One of the most high-profile ones was Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman, who had to apologize for posts seen as racist towards Palestinians and denying the existence of mass shootings. On Saturday night CBC declared that he had comfortably won his seat in the Metro Vancouver suburb.
Past social media comments became a regular target for the NDP. Chris Sankey, the North Coast-Haida Gwaii candidate, was targeted for allegedly saying that COVID-19 vaccines caused AIDS and denying the Jan. 6, 2021, riots by Donald Trump supporters.
Sankey's campaign manager had told The Canadian Press in a written statement that the B.C. NDP are "are trying to cancel me," but he did not address questions about whether he believes vaccines cause AIDS. CBC has declared he will lose his seat in northern B.C. to the NDP's Tamara Davidson.
Another candidate that was targeted regularly by the NDP was Bryan Breguet, who ran in the Vancouver-Langara riding. Breguet came under fire for questioning whether there were biases against Indigenous people, who have a higher incarceration rate in Canada. As of 12:15 a.m. PT on Sunday, the race in that riding was too close to call, and it's unclear whether Breguet will win his riding.
It wasn't just past social media that the NDP focused on to paint their opponents as conspiracy theorists.
Jody Toor, who ran in the Langley-Willowbrook riding, came under fire from her opponents for presenting herself as an MD despite not having medical credentials — something that the Hospital Employees' Union, which endorsed the NDP, said it would file a formal complaint over.
Toor has been declared the winner in her Fraser Valley riding.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad consistently rejected calls from his opponents to drop candidates with controversial views. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Shachi Kurl, the president of the Angus Reid Institute, said that pundits and analysts had thought the raft of controversial, and sometimes racist, comments from the Conservatives would have cost them.
But Kurl said that the overall results of the election, which saw the NDP concede significant ground to the upstart Conservatives, showed that the strategy of mudslinging at their opponents may not have paid off.
"I think voters have showed us tonight that they priced that [controversial comments] in to the cost of their vote when making up their minds," she said.
With files from The Canadian Press and Courtney Dickson
Brent Chapman
SURREY SOUTH
MLA Candidate
About
Brent Chapman is a multifaceted professional with a robust background in acting, producing, broadcasting, writing, and voice coaching, bringing a wealth of expertise to every project he undertakes. His career highlights include being a well-recognized television commercial actor for major brands like Coca-Cola, Sears, and Honda, as well as his extensive political experience and commitment to conservative values.
In his personal life, Brent cherishes his long-term marriage to a lawyer-turned-politician, with whom he has raised four accomplished children. This family-centered foundation fuels his dedication to both personal and professional excellence, evident in his commitment to serving the South Surrey community.
Strengths:
Mobilizing Volunteers: Brent has a talent for rallying volunteers and organizing grassroots efforts to support quality candidates and uphold conservative values in Surrey South. His passion for coordinating volunteer activities drives impactful community engagement.
Passionate Advocate: Brent is deeply committed to serving the South Surrey community and promoting conservative values and principles. His dedication shines through in his advocacy work and community service initiatives.
Effective Communicator: With a knack for conveying ideas clearly and persuasively, Brent excels in various communication settings and platforms. His ability to articulate messages effectively contributes to successful outreach and engagement with constituents.
Hardworking Professional: Brent's work ethic is characterized by dedication and commitment, both in his career pursuits and volunteer endeavors. His relentless drive to achieve goals and deliver results sets him apart as a hardworking and dependable professional.
Experienced Campaigner: With valuable political experience and insight into successful campaign strategies, Brent brings a strategic approach to his advocacy efforts. His understanding of grassroots campaigning and effective communication strategies enhances his ability to mobilize support and drive positive change.
With a passion for serving the South Surrey community and a track record of effective leadership, Brent Chapman is poised to uphold conservative values and principles as a candidate for the Conservative Party of British Columbia in Surrey South.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Chapman
Brent Chapman is a Canadian politician from the Conservative Party of British Columbia. He was elected in the 2024 British Columbia general election in Surrey South.
During the election, Chapman was forced to repeatedly apologize for past controversial statements about Muslims, Palestinians, and mass shootings.
Early life and career
Chapman was born in 1959 or 1960. He worked as an actor with minor roles in some films and as a small business owner.[1][2]
Political career
Chapman was selected as the Conservative Party of British Columbia candidate in Surrey South for the 2024 general election. The incumbent MLA, Elenore Sturko, ran in nearby Surrey-Cloverdale as a result of changes made after the 2021 electoral redistribution.[3]
In the final weeks of the campaign, Chapman had to issue multiple apologies for past political statements denigrating Muslims, Palestinians, and about conspiracy theories after former BC Liberal MLA and current CKNW radio host drew attention to them Jas Johal.[3][4] On October 14, 2024, Chapman posted on social media that he had received legal advice not to continue commenting on his previous social media posts. On October 15, Chapman hid from Global News reporters when they sought to interview him at his campaign office. The same day BC Conservative leader John Rustad declined to say if Chapman would be allowed to be a cabinet minister or sit with the party caucus if elected and said BC voters had a choice between Chapman and a continued New Democratic government.[5]
Chapman defeated NDP candidate Haroon Ghaffar in the general election.[3]
Political views
Gun control
In February 2017, Chapman made a social media post suggesting that the Quebec City mosque shooting, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Aurora theater shooting, and the Pulse nightclub shooting were faked for political reasons. On October 14, 2024, Chapman tweeted saying that those shootings were real and he had been questioning the chaotic nature of reporting after such shootings.[3][5] The posts led to fresh calls for Chapman to step down as a candidate. Conservative leader Rustad issued a statement that Chapman's posts did not reflect the party's or his views.[4]
Foreign policy
In November 2015, Chapman shared a video from fake news website called "Jew News" that misrepresented refugees upset with Macedonian police restrictions as refusing Red Cross packages because of the cross and being non-halal. Chapman called for a boycott of Air Canada because of its role in airlifting Syrian refugees to Canada.[2]
In January 2017, after Donald's Trump victory in the 2016 United States presidential election, Chapman, who had posted pro-Trump content on social media, posted a graphic indicating the proper way to commit suicide by gunshot to help "those liberals who said they would kill themselves if Trump were elected".[6]
In mid-September 2024, Chapman said on a podcast that he believed that the United Nations was conspiring to control Canadian municipalities via contracts, citing the work of Freedom Convoy protestor Maggie Hope Braun. Chapman also said that the World Health Organization's proposed International Treaty on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response would allow it to confiscate personal property, and that the BC Conservatives had 45 to 50 people who were opposed to the treaty.[7]
Health
In August 2024, one of Chapman's campaign social media accounts reposted a meme that public health harm reduction policies were akin to the fate of the Warsaw Ghetto boy during the Holocaust.[8]
Indigenous issues
In September 2024, Chapman appeared on a podcast and referred to the mainstream narrative around Canadian Indian residential school gravesites as a "massive fraud" and cult-like. Chapman also said that Canadians should feel proud of their national history.[3] The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs condemned the comments as racist and called for Chapman to be removed as a candidate. Chapman issued a statement saying that the clip was being taken out of context and said that he "[had] an immense amount of respect and love for First Nations people and their historic suffering."[9]
Muslims and Palestinians
In November 2015, Chapman made a Facebook post describing Palestinians as "inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs." Chapman also made another post describing Muslims as inbred and speculated that "coexistence with Islam" was impossible. The National Council of Canadian Muslims criticized his comments as Islamophobic and the B.C. Muslim Association stated that Chapman should resign as a candidate. On October 9, 2024, Chapman issued a statement describing his past comments as "completely unacceptable" and not reflective of him today.[3][5][10]
Personal life
Chapman is married to Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay and has four adult children.[1][2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry-Lynne_Findlay
Kerry-Lynne Donna FindlayPCKCMP (born January 12, 1955) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament for South Surrey—White Rock since 2019, and previously represented the electoral district of Delta—Richmond East in the House of Commons of Canada from 2011 to 2015.[1] A member of the Conservative Party, she had served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, Associate Minister of National Defence, and Minister of National Revenue while that party was in power under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Findlay was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, and lived in Nanaimo and Victoria; her brother Greg Findlay was a linebacker for the BC LionsCanadian football team.[2] After graduating from Crofton House School in Vancouver, she attended the University of British Columbia, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science in 1975, and a law degree in 1978.[2][3]
She articled at Kowarsky and Company in Vancouver, then worked there as an associate for two years before briefly serving as in-house counsel for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.[2] She established her own practice in 1981, then joined Connell Lightbody in 1987 before switching to Watson Goepel Maledy in 1996.[2] During her legal career, Findlay has been active in both the national and B.C. provincial branch of the Canadian Bar Association. She held various positions in that organization including national and provincial chair of the Constitutional Law Section and member of the National Task Force on Canadian Court Reform, and she was acclaimed president of the B.C. Branch for the 1997–1998 term.[2] Findlay was appointed a Queen's Counsel in March 1999 by the Attorney General of British Columbia,[3] and served a five-year term as a Member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal by appointment of the Federal Minister of Justice (2006–2011).[4]
She has also been recognized with the Vancouver YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in the category of Management, Professions and Trades (May 2001) and the national Cecilia I. Johnstone Award (2011) that recognizes women who have achieved professional excellence in their field and influenced other women to pursue legal careers, supported other women in career advancement or opened doors for women lawyers in a variety of job settings that historically were closed to them[citation needed].
Political career
Formerly a supporter of the federal Liberal Party,[2] Findlay ran in the 2000 federal election as a Canadian Alliance candidate in the riding of Vancouver Quadra,[5] but lost to Liberal candidate Stephen Owen.[6]
She was named the Conservative Party's candidate for Delta—Richmond East in March 2011,[7] and won the seat in that year's federal election.[6] During the 41st Parliament, she served as member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights,[6] and sat on a selection panel to help choose a replacement for Marie Deschamps of Quebec, who retired as puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.[8] She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice in May 2011,[6] and as Associate Minister of National Defence on February 22, 2013.[9] She then served as the Minister of National Revenue from July 15, 2013, until November 4, 2015.[10]
She contested the reconstituted riding of Delta in the 2015 election, but lost to Liberal candidate Carla Qualtrough.[11] She then ran for the Conservatives in the 2017 South Surrey—White Rockby-election,[12] but was defeated by the Liberal's Gordie Hogg, taking 42.1% of the vote to Hogg's 47.5%.[13]
In a re-match at the 2019 election, Findlay unseated Hogg by taking 42.6% of the vote.[14] She served as shadow minister for Environment and Climate Change from November 2019 to September 2020.[6] She received backlash in August 2020 after retweeting another user's Twitter post trying to connect Chrystia Freeland with George Soros; she deleted the tweet and apologized shortly after.[15] She voted in support of Bill C-233 - an act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion), which would make it an indictable or a summary offence for a medical practitioner to knowingly perform an abortion solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex.[16][non-primary source needed]
She was re-elected in 2021 by defeating Gordie Hogg again,[17] and served as shadow minister for National Defence from November 2021 to October 2022.[6] Following Erin O'Toole's ouster as Conservative leader in February 2022, Findlay announced her intention to run for interim party leader;[18]Candice Bergen was ultimately chosen for the role.[19] On September 13, 2022 Findlay was named Chief Opposition Whip by Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre,[20] becoming the first woman to serve in this role for the Conservatives.[21]
Community
Findlay's volunteer posts, in addition to the Canadian Bar Association, have included chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission,[2] board member of Science World, executive member of the Junior Leagues of Canada, president of Delta Zeta chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta International Fraternity, and honorary counsel for the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada.[citation needed] In 2016, she was named a Distinguished Citizen by Alpha Gamma Delta.[22]
Family
Findlay was married to lawyer A. Boyd Ferris, with whom she had two children. After Ferris died from a heart attack in 1989, she met actor Brent Chapman.[2][23] The two married in 1993 and had two more daughters together;[2] they also have seven grandchildren.[3] Chapman was elected as the provincial MLA for Surrey South in the 2024 British Columbia general election.[23][24]
From: Findlay, Kerry-Lynne D. - M.P.<kerry-lynne.findlay@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 10:07 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Hello,
Thank you for contacting our office. Given the current circumstances, our office is experiencing an unprecedented amount of emails daily.
Please be assured that your email has been received and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
If you have not already, please provide your full contact information including your residential address as we must prioritize requests from constituents.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Team Findlay
P.S. If you are interested in following Kerry-Lynne’s work as your MP, please visit our Website, or she is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
David Eby calls on John Rustad to drop candidates with extreme and dangerous views before 1pm deadline
David Eby has written directly to John Rustad, calling on him to drop seven candidates whose views have no place in a political party seeking to lead British Columbia. The deadline for political parties to remove their endorsement of candidates is today at 1 pm.
Eby’s letter is available here.
Background on the candidates named in the letter:
Five of John Rustad’s candidates have publicly endorsed anti-democratic conspiracy theories that allege the January 6th insurrection was a “hoax” and that Biden stole the 2020 election.
Chris Sankey (North Coast-Haida Gwaii)
John Koury (Cowichan Valley)
Bryan Tepper (Surrey-White Rock)
Harman Bhangu (Langley-Abbotsford)
Sharon Hartwell (Bulkley Valley-Stikine)
Sheldon Clare (Prince George-North Cariboo) compared gun control laws with the racist internment of Japanese Canadians.
Bryan Breguet (Vancouver-Langara) has posted bigoted and sexist views, including derogatory remarks about Indigenous people and comparing himself to a white nationalist.
September 28, 2024
Dear Mr. Rustad,
My concerns about your support for bizarre and dangerous conspiracy theories are a matter of public
record.
But as political party leaders, the candidates we choose also show British Columbians what kind of
views are acceptable under our leadership. In recent weeks, we have seen comments from your
candidates who have publicly endorsed extremist, hateful, and fringe views.
The promotion of bigotry, disinformation, and dangerous conspiracy theories is profoundly alarming and
has no place in a democratic society—and certainly not from people seeking the trust of voters to form
their next government.
Every day, the public is learning more about the extreme and dangerous views of your candidates. In
particular, there are seven candidates whose views are already known to you through public discourse
or through the BC United opposition research book that was provided to you several weeks ago.
● John Koury, Chris Sankey, Bryan Tepper, Harman Bhangu, and Sharon Hartwell have
advanced anti-democratic conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and
that the January 6 riots at the capitol are a hoax orchestrated by Democrats;
● Sheldon Clare has compared gun control laws with the racist internment of Japanese
Canadians;
● Bryan Breguet has posted bigoted and sexist views, including derogatory remarks about
Indigenous people and comparing himself to a white nationalist.
Elections BC rules stipulate that you have until 1 pm today to remove your party’s endorsement of
candidates. This is an opportunity to send a clear signal that you will not tolerate hateful views by
dropping these candidates from your team.
I urge you to take decisive action and demonstrate the leadership that British Columbians expect and
deserve. I urge you to publicly denounce these dangerous beliefs and reassure the people of BC that
you do not support these extremist views.
Sincerely,
David Eby
BC NDP Leader
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTSdcx85Sk0
Stopping the Socialist Trainwreck in British Columbia | John Rustad | EP 477
Jordan B PetersonSep 2, 2024
The Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
Foundations of the West is out now on DailyWire+: https://bit.ly/3ABnIgR Dr.
Jordan B. Peterson sits down with the leader of the Conservative party of British Columbia, John Rustad. They discuss the natural resources of the province, the necessity of cheap energy to ensure prosperity, the biggest threats facing both Canada and the U.S. at large, and what it takes to be a politician who inspires confidence and earns trust.
John Rustad is the Conservative MLA for Nechako Lakes - a riding he has held since 2005. John was born and raised in Prince George, married Kim in 1995, and has spent his entire life living in northern British Columbia. In the early 2000s, John was faced with a difficult task. Frustrated with the direction the province was headed, John had to decide between leaving for greener pastures or sticking around. Thankfully, he decided to stick around and, in so doing, decided to fight for BC. For more than 20 years, John has fought for the people of British Columbia. First being elected as a school board trustee to SD-57 and then as an MLA in 2005 to the riding of Prince George–Omineca. Later being re-elected in the riding of Nechako Lakes, after riding redistribution and has served there ever since. John has been a champion of resource development and economic reconciliation, as well as the champion of the common man his entire time in office. This episode was recorded on August 15th, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFtYeH1vUqk
British Columbia Election Results Livestream
Éric GrenierStreamed live
Éric Grenier and Philippe J. Fournier, co-hosts of The Numbers Podcast, analyze the results of the B.C. provincial election live as the votes are counted. David Eby's incumbent New Democrats face a stiff challenge from John Rustad's Conservatives, while Sonia Furstenau's Greens hope to hold on to some of their seats.
36 Comments
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-election-2024-what-happens-now-1.7357615
When will we know more about B.C.'s tight provincial election?
Less than 0.3% of results remain to be made official after Saturday, but up to 11 ridings could be in play
The full results of the 2024 provincial election in B.C. may not be known for up to a week, as officials tally a number of close races and the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservatives are in a dead heat.
As of 8 a.m. PT on Sunday, the NDP were leading or elected in 46 seats, the Conservatives in 45 seats and the B.C. Greens were elected in two seats. In the B.C. Legislature, 47 seats are required to form a majority government.
However, based on preliminary results, CBC News has not projected the winners of 11 ridings — with the NDP leading in six of those, and the Conservatives in five.
Some of those ridings are likely to be subject to an automatic recount — in any ridings where the margin of victory is 100 votes or less.
The winners of those recounts will be determined during the final counting period between Oct. 26 and 28, according to Elections B.C.
In addition, Elections B.C. says that it will tally mail-in ballots and out-of-district votes in a number of ridings. As of midnight PT on Sunday, officials said that less than 0.3 per cent of preliminary results remained to be reported.
"Sixteen districts are continuing to count out-of-district ballots. These ballots take longer to count for several reasons," wrote an Elections B.C. spokesperson in a midnight statement.
"With B.C.'s vote anywhere model, some districts are reporting out-of-district results from dozens of other contests. Write-in ballots also take longer to count than ordinary ballots."
Voters
are pictured at a voting place in the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena on
the last day of advance voting in Vancouver on Oct. 16. The full results
of the B.C. election may not be known for a week. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Officials said "election official availability and weather-related disruptions" delayed some preliminary results.
Elections B.C. is set to continue counting votes on Sunday morning, and CBC News will update this story if it is able to project a winner.
Once the amount of mail-in ballots are revealed in each riding, CBC News may be able to project the results for some close ridings before final counting on Oct. 26.
Echoes of 2017 election
The NDP's Adrian Dix, incumbent health minister and the winner of the Vancouver-Renfrew riding, said that Saturday's election mirrored the 2017 election — which eventually saw the NDP form a minority government through a confidence and supply agreement with the Greens.
The results of that election were not known for a few days afterwards, but Dix cautioned that counting would still take place on Sunday morning.
"This is an extremely close election. The elections in B.C., really all my lifetime, have been four per cent either way — and this was no exception," he told the CBC's Rosemary Barton.
NDP
candidate Adrian Dix won his riding of Vancouver-Renfrew again — but he
acknowledged the party lost a number of seats south of the Fraser
River. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Dix said that the NDP's preliminary popular vote share, at 44.5 per cent, was the third-highest in the party's nearly century-long history.
"When you look at the NDP and the Green votes, there is a significant progressive majority in the province," he said.
"But all of that said, it is very very disappointing of course when you lose such outstanding colleagues."
Parties watching and waiting
Peter Milobar, who won as a Conservative candidate in Kamloops Centre and was previously a long-time B.C. Liberal MLA for the area, said that his party was waiting and watching to see how the results would shake out on Sunday.
"Things could swing so dramatically one way or the other, in terms of is it a minority government, is it a majority," he told CBC News.
B.C.
Conservative candidate Peter Milobar, pictured here in February 2023,
won the riding of Kamloops Centre on Saturday. He has been a longtime
MLA in the area with the B.C. Liberal Party. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)
Milobar said he had had conversations with Conservative Leader John Rustad after Saturday, but that talks about potentially forming an alliance with the Greens would be had by the leader and not him.
CBC News reached out to the newly elected B.C. Green MLAs and party Leader Sonia Furstenau for an interview Sunday, but they declined requests.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Rosemary Barton and Marcella Bernardo
Divisive B.C. election poured cold water on the NDP's majority
Province split by Conservatives' call for change, warnings from NDP — and now Greens may hold the balance
This campaign to determine the next B.C. government, which was defined by name-calling and fear-mongering, resulted in a split vote over how to deal with the province's most pressing issues.
It's the product of asking voters to decide between dissatisfaction with an incumbent party currently running a $9 billion deficit as costs of living continue to mount; or sticking with them because of uncertainty or unease over the alternative — a party that hasn't elected an MLA since 1978.
In the end, despite both the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservative Party calling each other names and spreading fear about one another, their tactics weren't enough to decisively sway voters — meaning the make-up for the legislature later this fall is still uncertain.
With recounts certainly to come in several ridings, the count as of early Sunday had the B.C. NDP winning or elected in 46 ridings, the B.C. Conservative Party winning or elected in 45 riding and the B.C. Green Party elected in two ridings.
If those numbers hold, the results will bring the province back to the political situation of 2017, when the NDP and Greens signed an agreement to lead the legislature with the previously ruling B.C. Liberals as Official Opposition.
This time around, though, it's unclear how any kind of power sharing — and between which parties — would work.
Eby did say on election night that he had already reached out to the Greens, however.
B.C.
NDP Leader David Eby greets supporters with his wife Cailey Lynch after
his speech on election night in Vancouver on Saturday. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
There was little common ground between the two main parties this campaign because both of them thought they could deliver knock-out blows to the other.
"We have a very deeply wounded and divided province," said Kareem Mallan, who was Kevin Falcon's leadership campaign manager with the B.C. United party but cast his lot with the NDP after B.C. United suspended its campaign amid a Conservative surge.
"Long gone are the days of coalition building."
But why collaborate when you're the ruling party and have trouble seeing your adversary as a credible threat? Why collaborate when you're an upstart party with nothing to lose?
At the head of the Conservatives, John Rustad came out of a political wilderness to potentially win 45 seats.
"It's important to keep fighting," said Rustad in a speech on election night despite no official call for results. He vowed to bring down a minority government that didn't involve his party at the first chance.
Despite a poor performance during the campaign's only televised debate, a party platform released four days before election day and controversy over candidates, Rustad and his message to voters clearly resonated.
He asked if they were any better off now after seven years of NDP rule. He floated populist policies like a renters' and homeowners' rebate, getting tough on crime, and even a return to plastic straws.
It was enough to win seats from the NDP in ridings in Surrey, Richmond and the Fraser Valley, where the economy, public safety, and even how sexuality is taught in schools were central issues during the campaign, and something the Conservatives went after the NDP on.
The NDP chose to go after controversial candidates, going even so far to call on Rustad to drop seven of them because their views "have no place in a political party seeking to lead British Columbia."
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad arrives with his wife Kim to address supporters on election night in Vancouver on Sunday. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
The tactic backfired. Some of them were either elected or were poised to be, suggesting voters may have been less concerned about the candidates and more concerned about giving the NDP another mandate.
"This has been a very, very hard fought campaign and we knew that every vote would matter," said Eby from a speech on election night as the results remained stalled.
His party did preliminarily collect its greatest share of popular vote with 44.5 per cent, which he said was an endorsement of the NDP's "progressive values."
And Eby conceded that Rustad was successful in connecting with voters over key issues in the election, such as affordability, health care and social disorder.
"We have to do better. We will do better," he conceded, while promising to be the premier that would bring B.C. together.
However, he's now faced with the reality that his party has potentially been reduced to 46 of 93 seats in the upcoming 43rd parliament, down from 55 of 87 seats.
The provincial electoral map with the tentative results shows the north, east and centre of the province nearly all blue, with the coast nearly all orange.
If current results hold, forming government for either the NDP or Conservatives will come down to who can best court the B.C. Green Party and the two seats it won, despite leader Sonia Furstenau being defeated in the riding she contested.
Errant votes
There may also be some gnashing of teeth by both the NDP and the Conservatives over votes that either party could have found a different way to grasp during the campaign.
Nearly 71,000 votes went to Independent or non-affiliated candidates.
Power outages and flooding due to an atmospheric river sweeping across southern B.C. on Saturday also likely kept some voters from casting ballots.
"It certainly has me thinking about turnout," said Shachi Kurl, a public policy analyst with the Angus Reid Institute.
No matter. The campaign that shaped who will form government matched the weather on voting day: dark and ominous.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No clear winner in B.C. election race between NDP, Conservatives
Parties locked in near dead heat with vast majority of polls counted
A tight race for political power in British Columbia still had no clear winner early Sunday after the vast majority of votes in the provincial election had been counted, with a weakened incumbent party barely holding off its top challenger late into the night.
With a little more than 96 per cent of votes counted, the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservatives were left locked in a near dead heat.
The NDP were either elected or leading in 46 ridings, while the Conservatives had won or were leading in 45 — each just a seat or two shy of the 47 needed to win a majority government.
The razor-thin result means the race will come down to the final polls, out-of-district votes and mail in ballots. The latter aren't expected to be fully counted until Oct. 26.
The delay in announcing the results came after an unusually antagonistic election campaign characterized by the growing popularity of the right-of-centre Conservatives, which had tried to convince a broad base of disillusioned voters to reject the status quo after seven years of NDP rule.
Regardless of which party ultimately forms government, the close race will be considered a disappointing result for the once-dominant NDP and a once-unthinkable accomplishment for the up-and-coming Conservatives.
"This has been a very, very hard fought campaign and we knew that every vote would matter and that has certainly been the case," NDP Leader David Eby told supporters just before 11:30 p.m. PT. "And it looks like we're going to have to wait just a little bit longer."
Addressing his own crowd minutes earlier, Conservatives Leader John Rustad said the election was a "historic night."
"This has been a night where we have seen the political landscape in British Columbia change forever ... we have not given up this fight yet. We are going to keep pushing hard."
A number of ridings are still too close to call with less than a few hundred votes between candidates.
Both Eby and Rustad held onto their ridings: Rustad was re-elected in Nechako Lakes, which he has held since 2005, and Eby won a fourth term in Vancouver–Point Grey.
In a major blow to her party, B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau lost her seat after leaving her riding of Cowichan Valley to run for the first time in Victoria–Beacon Hill.
"It has been such an honour to be an MLA," an emotional Furstenau later told supporters gathered in the capital, her voice hoarse after fighting a cold last weekend. "It's not the outcome we hoped for in Victoria–Beacon Hill tonight, but I'm so proud of the campaign that we ran."
The Greens otherwise led in two ridings. With the two top parties each straining to clinch a majority, Furstenau said the party could potentially play "pivotal role" in the next government.
B.C. was left with similar uncertainty after the provincial election in 2017, when election night ended with another too-close-to-call race between the NDP and then-B.C. Liberals.
Former Liberals leader Christy Clark promised to lead a minority government after the race, but resigned weeks later after losing a confidence vote. The NDP's John Horgan became premier after signing a confidence and supply agreement with the support of the three Green members of the Legislature.
Together, the two parties had a total of 44 seats — the minimum required at that time for a majority.
Remarkable Conservative rise
The campaign was largely a story about whether or not the Conservatives could complete a stunning political rise to topple Eby's NDP, or whether the incumbent party could hold onto its commanding power in the Legislature.
At dissolution this fall, the NDP held a powerful majority with 55 seats in the legislature. The B.C. United party served as the Official Opposition with 20 seats, but did not run any candidates in the election after it suspended its campaign to throw its support behind the surging B.C. Conservatives — who held just eight seats before the election.
B.C.
NDP Leader David Eby greets Vancouver-Yaletown NDP candidate Terry
Yung, left, after addressing supporters on election night in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
The Greens had two seats, and two seats were held by Independents. A record 40 Independents ran in the election this year, but none of them won any of their races.
The majority of NDP cabinet ministers retained their seats, including Health Minister Adrian Dix in Vancouver–Renfrew, Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey in Vancouver–South Granville and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon in Delta North.
If Rustad's party takes power, the province will have its first Conservative government in nearly a century. If Eby's party wins, the province will have its third consecutive NDP government.
Regardless of the final outcome, Rustad's unlikely rise has been a remarkable story in B.C. politics.
B.C.
Conservative Leader John Rustad arrives with his wife Kim to address
supporters on election night in Vancouver. Rustad, 61, urged supporters
to be patient as officials kept counting votes in a too-close-to-call
race. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Rustad, 61, became party leader after he was kicked out of the Opposition, then known as the B.C. Liberals, over his views on climate change. In just two years, he steered the fledgling Conservatives to a level of popularity that sank his old party, which had disastrously rebranded as B.C. United.
The Conservatives and NDP ran candidates in each of the province's 93 ridings, while Furstenau's Greens had 69 candidates. Six high-profile incumbent MLAs were among the 40 Independent candidates.
B.C. Conservative supporters watch as results roll in on election night in Vancouver on Oct. 19, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Voting results were available quicker than usual because Elections B.C. is using a new electronic voting system to count ballots, though the process wasn't seamless: results were delayed in Surrey–Cloverdale, one of the province's closest battleground ridings, because of an issue with a password needed to tabulate votes.
More than a million people voted ahead of a rainy election day, marking a record number for advance voting in the province. Automatic recounts will happen in electoral districts where the top two candidates are separated by 100 votes or less, with recounts scheduled for Oct. 26, 27 and 28.
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