BC United is fielding some candidates to keep the party name

BC United announces it will field a select number of candidates in the October 19 election after suspending its nationwide campaign in support of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

The number of candidates and their names or constituencies have not yet been announced.

The move is intended to ensure that BC United remains a political party registered with Elections BC, executive director Lindsay Cote said in a letter to members on Friday.

On August 28, BC United leader Kevin Falcon suspended the party's campaign and fired his candidates, many of whom learned of the decision through the media.

The “heartbreaking” decision was made to defeat the NDP and ensure “a free-market victory” in the provincial election, Cote said, adding that the move does not mean “the end of our party or the extinction of our organization.”

By fielding a few candidates, BC United will later be able to have a thorough discussion with its members about the future of the party, she said. “If there is a desire within our membership to rebuild the party and there is a plausible path to do so, we want to be able to act accordingly,” Cote said.

Michael MacKenzie, a professor at Vancouver Island University and Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership, called the latest move “unbelievable” and suggested the party was already dead.

“On paper, it's probably good for democracy that BC United hasn't been completely broken up,” so that there is a centre-right party to counterbalance an even more right-wing party like the BC Conservatives, MacKenzie said. “I'm just not convinced that's going to work.”

While fielding a few candidates technically ensures that BC United remains an organization, in the eyes of voters it is a “phantom party,” he said.

“Voters in BC rightly believe the party is now dead,” Mackenzie said.

Cote said that as leader, Falcon has the authority under the party constitution to revoke the nomination of any candidate for the Oct. 19 election. Although he did not need the support of the provincial executive committee for his decision, he sought it and it was granted.

“We are currently in the process of withdrawing these nominations from Elections BC,” Cote said.

The two parties agreed to put together candidates, with the Conservatives — who have listed 88 candidates on their website and have promised to field a candidate in all 93 constituencies — making the final decision. (They still have to nominate candidates for Esquimalt-Colwood, Kootenay Central, Vancouver-Hastings, Vancouver-South Granville and Vancouver-Strathcona.)

The British Columbia Conservatives ultimately selected only three of BC United's ten MPs – Ian Paton, Peter Milobar and Trevor Halford – as well as four BC United candidates who ran under the Conservative flag.

Former party colleagues Mike Bernier, Dan Davies and Tom Shypitka have filed as independents.

Eliminated BC United candidates Wendy Yuan in Richmond Centre, Kevin Acton in Vernon-Lumby and Ashley Ramsay in Kelowna-Mission will also run as independents.

The NDP has nominated 85 candidates, while the BC Green Party nominated 23 candidates last month.

MacKenzie said Falcon's actions were potentially unprecedented and definitely an attack on democracy.

“It is perfectly legitimate for parties to join forces or merge and do so strategically to prevent a split in votes. But I have never seen a party leader dissolve a party at the start of an election campaign without informing its candidates or its members and basically just hand the organization over to another party. That is really remarkable,” he said.

“Falcon may have had the authority to do that, and it certainly looks like he did, but that doesn't mean he should have done it.”

Since neither members nor candidates were consulted, “it is simply very difficult to understand how or why these formerly loyal members would want to bring the party back together in the future,” MacKenzie said.

MP for Prince George-Valemount Shirley Bond was one of the MPs who was shocked when the leader suspended his campaign and subsequently did not offer her a chance to run in her constituency.

First elected as a British Columbia Liberal in 2001, Bond worked with Falcon for many years, served as Deputy Premier under Gordon Campbell, served as minister in several ministries including Education and Health, and was British Columbia's first female Attorney General during her tenure as Minister of Justice.

She said she received hundreds of texts, calls, flowers and cards “that helped me get through some difficult days.”

She said she has two weeks left as MP for Prince George-Valemount – until the election is officially called on September 21.

“I plan to finish well, work hard, attend events and be present in the community and region that I love so much,” she said in a social media post.

Adam Wilson, communications director for BC United, said in a statement that fielding a few candidates will ensure the party's name will be available in future elections.

An Angus Reid poll conducted after BC United suspended its election campaign showed a statistical tie between the BC NDP and the BC Conservatives.

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— With files from The Canadian Press

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