Image Credit: Conservative Party of BC

By Adam Berls

bc politics

‘Political juggernaut’: Another BC United MLA crosses the floor to Conservatives

Jul 30, 2024 | 2:59 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — BC United Leader Kevin Falcon is losing another member of the legislature to the Conservative Party of BC. Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond North Centre, defected to John Rustad’s Conservative Party of BC on Tuesday.

Wat, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2013 as a BC Liberal, says quitting the Opposition BC United Party to join the Conservatives is the only path available for a free-enterprise coalition to defeat the New Democrats in the fall election. Wat says getting rid of David Eby’s New Democrats is her top priority and Rustad’s Conservatives offer the best opportunity.

Wat, the fourth BC United member of the legislature to join Rustad, told a news conference today it has become clear to her the B.C. Conservatives are in the best position to defeat the NDP. She says she was being approached daily by constituents, including while she was at a local pet shop having her cat groomed to make the right decision to fight the New Democrats. Wat says she is disappointed the BC United party has suggested she’s taken sensitive voter information with her to the Conservatives, saying she did nothing untoward and will follow election rules.

With a couple of months left before the writ is dropped, there is a possibility that the province could witness more changes on the political landscape and nothing is out of the question, says political science instructor Chris Beach.

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“I wouldn’t say no to anything, because this momentum that the B.C. Conservative party has in terms of popular support and people crossing the floor and even BC United candidates dropping their candidacy for that party and running for the BC Conservatives, it just keeps growing. I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point.” – Chris Beach, Political Science Instructor, CNC

A new poll from Research Co., released on Tuesday has the governing BC NDP at 41%, the Conservatives at 38%, the Greens at 10% and BC United in last place at 9%. John Rustad says that despite the numbers, there is still a long way to go until the election.

“We’re talking about who we are as a party and building that grassroots movement and I think it’s being reflected in the polls. We’ve got a long way to get yet, a lot of work still to be done to be able to form government, but I think we’re going to be well-positioned for a challenge for government come October.” – John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of BC

According to reports out of Victoria on Tuesday afternoon, BC United will be asking Elections BC to include “formerly BC Liberals” on ballots for the upcoming provincial election. This was an idea that party had previously rejected. The party now has to choose another candidate to replace Wat in the newly-created riding of Richmond-Bridgeport.

An election must be held on or before October 19, 2024.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com