B.C. Conservatives proved to be a force in provincial politics

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A few short years ago, a small group of British Columbians saw a gap in the political landscape. We knew conservatives in B.C. were looking for a new home.

They were looking for a party that prioritized a strong economy, because there can be no affordability without one; a party that believes in true universal access to health care, not access to three-year waiting lists; a party that champions drug-free recovery, rather than perpetuating the cycle of addiction and poverty; and a party that prioritizes the safety of law-abiding citizens.

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B.C.’s other political parties either didn’t want, or were too afraid, to say what conservatives in B.C. were so desperate to hear. So the B.C. Conservatives took the lead.

Just 18 months ago, our party was on the outside looking in. We had no MLAs, no money, few volunteers and less than two per cent support in the polls. The political establishment looked down on our party and our supporters. But we did have hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who were tired of the same old politics and hungry for common-sense change.

Thanks to the dedication of our supporters, a shared common-sense vision and the leadership of John Rustad, our conservative movement elected 44 MLAs in the Oct. 19 election — the best election result for our party in nearly 100 years.

As president of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, I am proud that our movement has been built by and for British Columbians from all faiths and all races. Many of the 44 ridings that voted Conservative were among the youngest, the most diverse and the most working-class ridings in the province.

While our party’s meteoric climb was unprecedented, I am fully aware that close doesn’t cut it. Many have placed their trust in us to be the change our province so desperately needs — that responsibility is not lost on us. The election showed that we still have work to do.

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The B.C. NDP remain in power, and that means four more years of policies that will make life harder for everyday British Columbians. We will continue to suffer through an affordability crisis that has only gotten worse after seven years of NDP government.

The price of food has jumped nearly 30 per cent, making many staples, such as chicken, more expensive than anywhere else in Canada. A litre of gasoline in B.C. carries not one but two provincial taxes, leading to the highest gas taxes and prices in North America. These burdens make it nearly impossible for working families to get ahead.

Carbon taxes have made life unaffordable without producing any of the environmental benefits we were promised by the NDP.

We also face a housing crisis. Under Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Metro Vancouver completed the construction of fewer homes last year than in 2017, while rent and mortgage bills are at or near all-time highs. Young people are finding it difficult to justify staying in B.C. Half of those between the ages of 18 and 34 are seriously thinking of leaving the province.

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Our province’s addiction crisis is also shameful. After seven years of the NDP, B.C. has Canada’s worst drug problem. The NDP’s policies of handing out free drugs and running government drug dens have not helped our loved ones, they’ve only deepened the cycle of addiction and despair.

Don’t be fooled: there is no compassion in perpetuating addiction. British Columbians are crying out for common-sense solutions — to stop handing out free drugs, get people into treatment and bring their loved ones home, drug free.

Make no mistake: we are not done. Not even close. The results of the recent election were not good enough.

All 44 Conservative MLAs will fight to deliver a common-sense conservative agenda: scrapping the carbon tax; making housing more affordable by fighting to implement policies like the “Rustad Rebate”; ending safe supply and so-called harm reduction, and investing in treatment and rehab instead; removing sexual orientation and gender identity from B.C.’s education system; standing up for our natural resource workers and businesses; and pushing to end the catch-and-release, soft-on-crime policies of Eby’s NDP.

When the election was called on Sept. 21, 2024, the B.C. NDP were as ready as they would ever be. At the Conservative Party of British Columbia, we were building the plane as we were flying it. And we ended up on the doorstep of government. Now we have exactly what we need to win the next time around. So let’s finish the job.

National Post

Aisha Estey is the president of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

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