The suspension of BC United害羞草研究所檚 election campaign left centrist voters in British Columbia 害羞草研究所渙rphaned,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淭here are lots of people, they害羞草研究所檙e not interested in voting for either, so they feel betrayed and they feel orphaned by what害羞草研究所檚 happened,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淣ew Liberal Party of BC害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渂ackroom deal害羞草研究所� with the BC Conservative Party, leaving moderate voters without a 害羞草研究所減referred political choice on the ballot.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 personally don害羞草研究所檛 think it害羞草研究所檚 good for British Columbia to have this, you know, extreme right and left,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview. 害羞草研究所淭his polarization of politics is not good for British Columbia or for the country.害羞草研究所�
Dhaliwal, who left his Vancouver-area riding in 2004, said Leader Kevin Falcon害羞草研究所檚 suspension of the BC United campaign 害羞草研究所渂etrayed害羞草研究所� supporters, and the province risks returning to a 害羞草研究所渄ysfunctional害羞草研究所� state of 害羞草研究所減olarizing right versus left combat.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淢any times people have asked me to come back into politics and I害羞草研究所檝e said, No,害羞草研究所� Dhaliwal said. 害羞草研究所淏ut in this situation, where I think we害羞草研究所檙e going in really a wrong direction, I felt it was necessary for someone to try to do something about it.害羞草研究所�
Dhaliwal said he hopes Elections BC will allow a new party under the name 害羞草研究所淣ew Liberal Party of BC害羞草研究所� because Kevin Falcon害羞草研究所檚 BC United Party dissociated from the 害羞草研究所淟iberal害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渘ot associated with BC United害羞草研究所� or a similar phrase to the ballot could avoid 害羞草研究所渁ny conceivable confusion in the minds of voters.害羞草研究所�
Elections BC communications director Andrew Watson said Tuesday that the provincial Elections Act prohibits parties from registering if the chief electoral officer believes 害羞草研究所渋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.害羞草研究所�
Watson said the bracketed phrases proposed by those seeking to register the 害羞草研究所淣ew Liberal Party of BC害羞草研究所� to avoid confusion with BC United and the former BC Liberal Party still don害羞草研究所檛 make the cut.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really, really important that voters have no doubt about which party they害羞草研究所檙e voting for when they go to mark a ballot and that there害羞草研究所檚 no possibility for voter confusion,害羞草研究所� Watson said. 害羞草研究所淭hese rules have been in place for a long time in B.C. elections.害羞草研究所�
Dhaliwal said he害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所減remature害羞草研究所� as they await word from Elections BC.
害羞草研究所淲e think this is best for British Columbia,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 why we害羞草研究所檙e making an effort. You know, it害羞草研究所檚 better to try to do something then later on regret, why didn害羞草研究所檛 we do anything about it? Why didn害羞草研究所檛 we try it? We害羞草研究所檙e trying.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l see what happens. If it works, it works. If it doesn害羞草研究所檛, well, that害羞草研究所檚 part of life,害羞草研究所� he said.
