A series of candidates for British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 upcoming provincial election have disappeared from the B.C. Conservatives害羞草研究所� online list of nominees, as some former BC United members move into the Conservative fold after last week害羞草研究所檚 reshaping of the province害羞草研究所檚 political landscape.
But the shake up drew fire from some former candidates.
They complained the Conservatives were being infiltrated by the Official Opposition 害羞草研究所� whose leader Kevin Falcon ended BC United害羞草研究所檚 campaign last Wednesday 害羞草研究所� and at least one said they planned to run as an independent.
Falcon and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad last week announced a deal to pool candidates under the Conservative banner to avoid vote splitting that could favour Premier David Eby害羞草研究所檚 NDP in the Oct. 19 election.
Some of those whose names no longer appear on the Conservatives害羞草研究所� website took to social media to complain about the changes and accuse the party of shifting its values.
Former Prince George-Mackenzie candidate Rachael Weber 害羞草研究所� whose social media content about the 害羞草研究所�5G Genocide害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所渁nti christ害羞草研究所� had drawn criticism from BC United 害羞草研究所� confirmed in a Facebook post that she had been replaced in what she called 害羞草研究所渁 matter of deep sadness for me.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 believe this Conservative Party of BC is no longer Conservative but running under the guise of the name Conservative. They have allowed many BC United (Liberal) candidates to infiltrate the party and have lost sight of the real Conservative values we as Conservatives hold dear,害羞草研究所� Weber wrote on Monday.
害羞草研究所淵our new Conservative candidate for this riding will more than likely be BC United Liberal opposition.害羞草研究所�
Another former Conservative candidate, Dupinder Kaur Saran, said on Monday on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that she would be running as an independent in Surrey-Panorama because another Conservative had been 害羞草研究所渂ullied害羞草研究所� into standing there instead.
害羞草研究所淭he Provincial Conservative Party is now a Liberal Party running under the Conservative Banner,害羞草研究所� she wrote.
Several former BC United candidates have now been added to the Conservative ranks.
Former BC United candidate in Burnaby North Michael Wu will now represent the Conservatives there, with that party害羞草研究所檚 former nominee, Simon Chandler, moved to Burnaby East.
Former BC United nominees Scott McInnes in Columbia River Revelstoke, and Keenan Adams in Port Coquitlam, meanwhile become the Conservative candidates in those ridings instead.
McInnes said in a video posted on Facebook that he spoke to Rustad several times over the last few days before deciding to accept the Conservative slot.
害羞草研究所淚 feel like this is the group moving forward that has a really special chance to defeat the NDP and turn this province around and I really want to be a part of that for the people here of Columbia River Revelstoke,害羞草研究所� he said.
But the merging of the two parties害羞草研究所� candidate pools has not gone entirely smoothly on the BC United side.
Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier has publicly floated the idea that he and other former BC United candidates could run as independents instead.
On Sunday, he said on Facebook that Falcon had 害羞草研究所渂ack stabbed all of us, and actually just made it easier for the NDP to win.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 will not stand by and watch that happen,害羞草研究所� he added.
BC United害羞草研究所檚 Jackie Tegart, who has been MLA in Fraser-Nicola since 2013, on Tuesday became the latest of the party害羞草研究所檚 longtime candidates to announce she would no longer be running.
Incumbents Shirley Bond and Todd Stone last week announced they were not running again.
