Provincial political party in Canada
BC United (BCU ), formerly known as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals , is a provincial political party in British Columbia , Canada.[2] The party has been described as conservative , neoliberal , and being on the centre-right of the left–right political spectrum .[a] The party commonly describes itself as a "free enterprise coalition" and draws support from members of both the federal Liberal and Conservative parties.[19] [20] [21] [22] Since the 1990s, BC United has been the main centre-right opposition to the centre-left New Democratic Party (NDP). Once affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada, the British Columbia Liberal Party became independent in 1987.[23] The party changed its name to BC United on April 12, 2023.[24]
Until the 1940s, British Columbia politics were dominated by the Liberal Party and rival Conservative Party . The Liberals formed government from 1916 to 1928 and again from 1933 to 1941. From 1941 to 1952, the two parties governed in a coalition (led by a Liberal leader) to counter the ascendant Co-operative Commonwealth Federation . The coalition was defeated in the 1952 election by the new Social Credit Party , and the party went into decline, eventually losing its presence in the legislature in the 1979 election . It returned to the legislature in the 1991 election , coming in second and forming the Official Opposition , through the efforts of leader Gordon Wilson . Wilson lost a leadership challenge to Gordon Campbell in 1994. Under Campbell's leadership, the BC Liberals began to shift rightwards and distance themselves from the federal party. In the 2001 election , the Liberals won an overwhelming majority, which they held under Campbell and his successor Christy Clark until shortly after the 2017 election . The party remained in Opposition after losing the 2020 election .
Eight party leaders have served as premier of British Columbia : Harlan Brewster , John Oliver , John MacLean , Duff Pattullo , John Hart , Boss Johnson , Gordon Campbell , and Christy Clark . Since the 2022 leadership election , the party has been led by Kevin Falcon .[25]
^ "B.C. Liberal Party set to become B.C. United after members vote to change party name" . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . November 16, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023 .
^ "Why the B.C. Liberals are sometimes liberal and sometimes not" . CBC News . May 6, 2017.
^ John Gastil; Katherine R. Knobloch (2020). Hope for Democracy: How Citizens Can Bring Reason Back Into Politics . Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 9780190084523 .
^ George Hoberg (2021). The Resistance Dilemma: Place-Based Movements and the Climate Crisis . MIT Press. p. 281. ISBN 9780262543088 .
^ Reshef, Yonatan; Rastin, Sandra (2003). Unions in the Time of Revolution: Government Restructuring in Alberta and Ontario . University of Toronto Press. p. 1 . ISBN 978-0-8020-8753-9 . Retrieved May 4, 2013 .
^ Rosenberg, Karen E. (2008). From Moderate Chastisement to Mandatory Arrest: Responses to Violence Against Women in Canada and the United States . p. 91. ISBN 978-1-109-00418-2 . Retrieved May 4, 2013 .
^ "In Canada, $7 billion dam tests the limits of state power" . The Seattle Times . December 10, 2016.
^ "British Columbia Proposes Ban on Corporate and Union Donations in Elections" . The New York Times . September 18, 2017.
^ Vickers, Jill (2013). Federalism Feminism and Multilevel Governance . Ashgate Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-4094-9985-5 . Retrieved May 5, 2013 .
^ Michael. Maniates; Meyer, John M. (2010). The environmental politics of sacrifice . MIT Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-262-28878-1 . Retrieved May 7, 2013 .
^ David Rayside; Jerald Sabin; Paul E.J. Thomas (2017). Religion and Canadian Party Politics . UBC Press. p. 241. ISBN 9780774835619 .
^ Mason, Gary (April 20, 2012). "By-election losses put B.C. Liberals on notice: Reunite or cede power to NDP" . The Globe and Mail .
^ Haddow, Rodney S.; Klassen, Thomas Richard (2006). Partisanship, globalization, and Canadian labour market policy . Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press. pp. 8, 58. ISBN 978-0-8020-9090-4 .
^ Byrne, Lesley H. (2008). Representing Women: The Impact of Women Cabinet Ministers in British Columbia and Ontario and the Rise of Fiscal Feminism . p. 29. ISBN 978-0-549-58544-2 . Retrieved May 4, 2013 .
^ Young, Nathan; Matthews, Ralph (2011). The Aquaculture Controversy in Canada: Activism, Policy, and Contested Science . UBC Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-7748-5953-0 . Retrieved May 5, 2013 .
^ Evans, Bryan M.; Smith, Charles W. (2015). Transforming Provincial Politics: The Political Economy of Canada's Provinces and Territories in the Neoliberal Era . University of Toronto Press. p. 298. ISBN 978-1-4426-1179-5 .
^ Banting, Keith G.; Myles, John (2013). Inequality and the Fading of Redistributive Politics . UBC Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-7748-2601-3 .
^ Pedersen, Thomas F.; Elgie, Stewart (August 28, 2015). "A template for the world: British Columba's carbon tax shift" . In Larry Kreiser; Mikael Skou Andersen; Birgitte Egelund Olsen (eds.). Carbon Pricing: Design, Experiences and Issues . Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-78536-023-7 .
^ "B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins officially resigns" . Vancouver Sun . July 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013.
^ Hoekstra, Gordon; Cooper, Sam; Shaw, Rob (June 23, 2017). "Christy Clark's left turn worries her party's conservatives, could endanger Liberals free-enterprise coalition" . Vancouver Sun . Retrieved June 3, 2023 .
^ Meissner, Dirk (October 27, 2020). " 'It's a wake-up call': B.C. election reveals declining support for Liberals, need for change in party" . CTV News . Retrieved June 3, 2023 .
^ "B.C. Liberals eye giving themselves a new name in time for 2024 election" . Times Colonist . The Canadian Press . June 12, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2023 .
^ "The BC Liberal Party" . CBC News . April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
^ Cite error: The named reference CBCNameChange
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^ Meissner, Dirk; Charlebois, Brieanna (February 5, 2022). "Former cabinet minister Kevin Falcon wins B.C. Liberal leadership race on 5th ballot" . CBC News . Retrieved February 6, 2022 .
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