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MISHA’S MUSINGS: B.C.’s Conservatives: then and now

100 Mile Free Press reporter Misha Mustaqeem’s monthly column to the Free Press
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A promotional banner by the Conservative Party of BC promoting their policies and their party at the 100 Mile Community Hall. (Misha Mustaqeem photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The upcoming 2024 provincial election is set to feature the return of a political party that has not seen any MLAs elected to the Legislature since 1975 and hasn’t formed government (by themselves) since 1928 - the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

It seems ever since John Rustad crossed the floor from what I consider the laughably titled BC United party, which used to be called the BC Liberals, the Conservatives have been on the up and up, so much so that some polls even show them forming a minority government to the expense of the BC NDP.

I love history and considering it has been several decades since the last time the Conservatives won a seat, I thought it would be a good idea to see what 100 Mile House was like in 1928, 1975 and 2013 (because back then, John Cummins had crossed the floor from the Liberals to the Conservatives with people all predicting he would win a seat and then some).

In 1928, the last time the Conservatives won a seat here, the Cariboo was represented by Rodrick MacKenzie and 100 Mile House consisted of only a handful of homes.

Between 1928 and 1975 the following unfortunate events occurred to the Conservatives: first, the Great Depression led to widespread infighting and eventually a fragmented Conservative “party” ran that won only two seats. They would eventually come back and form a coalition government with the Liberals in the 1940s, but they had to share power, which is why I don’t count that government. Then, W.A.C. Bennett ran for the party leadership, lost and then took over Social Credit, which governed BC for two decades while the Conservatives faded into obscurity. Oof.

In 1971, the Conservatives returned from obscurity when an MLA named Scott Wallace crossed the floor to the then-named Progressive Conservatives, led by Derril Thomas Warren. The next year, they won two seats, and were most famous during that election period for W.A.C. Bennett being laughably tricked into being photographed with Warren, leading to Bennett antagonizing the media in a temper tantrum, I presume the size of Mount Fairweather.

However, by 1979, they again faded back into obscurity. During that revival, they did not bother to nominate anyone to represent the then-village 100 Mile House - Alex Fraser, I guess, was simply too powerful to be dislodged.

The Conservatives proceeded to wander around the political wilderness for the next 30 years, besides one MLA - Graham Lea. Not even the implosion of Social Credit revived it: the right-wing vote coalesced around the BC Liberals - until 2013 when John Cummins tried and failed to restore the Conservative Party. (Although he did make it interesting for a while, from what I have read.) By that time, 100 Mile was represented by the Liberals: the Conservatives didn’t bother to challenge Donna Barnett.

Now, John Rustad has taken over as leader of the Conservatives. If recent polling is of any indication - he might become the Official Opposition or even Premier of this great province. He might, for the first time in several decades, form a meaningful force for the Conservatives, or even form a government for the first time in almost a century.

I find this whole thing interesting - especially seeing how one party has come from obscurity to become a serious force in BC politics. We will see in the coming months if this is the Conservatives’ long-awaited come back, or just another false start.



About the Author: Misha Mustaqeem

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