The suspension of BC United含羞草研究社檚 election campaign left centrist voters in British Columbia 含羞草研究社渙rphaned,含羞草研究社� and a new provincial party under the Liberal brand is needed, says former federal cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal.
Dhaliwal, who served in the House of Commons for more than a decade in multiple Liberal government cabinet positions, said Tuesday that he wants to revive a liberal party for those left politically homeless after the BC United collapse in favour of the BC Conservatives.
含羞草研究社淭here are lots of people, they含羞草研究社檙e not interested in voting for either, so they feel betrayed and they feel orphaned by what含羞草研究社檚 happened,含羞草研究社� Dhaliwal said Tuesday, referring to the BC Conservatives and the BC United Party.
He said he wants to build a new party for moderate and centrist voters under the name 含羞草研究社淣ew Liberal Party of BC含羞草研究社� in time for the election on Oct. 19, but Elections BC has rejected the name due to its potential to confuse voters.
Dhaliwal said in a written statement released Tuesday that the former BC Liberal Party that rebranded as BC United was doomed by a 含羞草研究社渂ackroom deal含羞草研究社� with the BC Conservative Party, leaving moderate voters without a 含羞草研究社減referred political choice on the ballot.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 personally don含羞草研究社檛 think it含羞草研究社檚 good for British Columbia to have this, you know, extreme right and left,含羞草研究社� he said in an interview. 含羞草研究社淭his polarization of politics is not good for British Columbia or for the country.含羞草研究社�
Dhaliwal, who left his Vancouver-area riding in 2004, said Leader Kevin Falcon含羞草研究社檚 suspension of the BC United campaign 含羞草研究社渂etrayed含羞草研究社� supporters, and the province risks returning to a 含羞草研究社渄ysfunctional含羞草研究社� state of 含羞草研究社減olarizing right versus left combat.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淢any times people have asked me to come back into politics and I含羞草研究社檝e said, No,含羞草研究社� Dhaliwal said. 含羞草研究社淏ut in this situation, where I think we含羞草研究社檙e going in really a wrong direction, I felt it was necessary for someone to try to do something about it.含羞草研究社�
Dhaliwal said he hopes Elections BC will allow a new party under the name 含羞草研究社淣ew Liberal Party of BC含羞草研究社� because Kevin Falcon含羞草研究社檚 BC United Party dissociated from the 含羞草研究社淟iberal含羞草研究社� brand when it changed its name.
Dhaliwal, through lawyer Joven Narwal, has asked Elections BC to reconsider the rejection of the name.
In a letter to the agency dated Sept. 13, Narwal told elections officials that adding 含羞草研究社渘ot associated with BC United含羞草研究社� or a similar phrase to the ballot could avoid 含羞草研究社渁ny conceivable confusion in the minds of voters.含羞草研究社�
Elections BC communications director Andrew Watson said Tuesday that the provincial Elections Act prohibits parties from registering if the chief electoral officer believes 含羞草研究社渋ts name is likely to be confused with a currently registered political party, a party that has a registration application currently pending, or a party that was registered at any time during the past 10 years.含羞草研究社�
Watson said the bracketed phrases proposed by those seeking to register the 含羞草研究社淣ew Liberal Party of BC含羞草研究社� to avoid confusion with BC United and the former BC Liberal Party still don含羞草研究社檛 make the cut.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 really, really important that voters have no doubt about which party they含羞草研究社檙e voting for when they go to mark a ballot and that there含羞草研究社檚 no possibility for voter confusion,含羞草研究社� Watson said. 含羞草研究社淭hese rules have been in place for a long time in B.C. elections.含羞草研究社�
Dhaliwal said he含羞草研究社檚 hoping the party name issue can be resolved with the election looming in just over a month.
He declined to reveal who he would want to lead the new party, saying it would be 含羞草研究社減remature含羞草研究社� as they await word from Elections BC.
含羞草研究社淲e think this is best for British Columbia,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 why we含羞草研究社檙e making an effort. You know, it含羞草研究社檚 better to try to do something then later on regret, why didn含羞草研究社檛 we do anything about it? Why didn含羞草研究社檛 we try it? We含羞草研究社檙e trying.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檒l see what happens. If it works, it works. If it doesn含羞草研究社檛, well, that含羞草研究社檚 part of life,含羞草研究社� he said.
