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Electing the right leader
By Bill Bennett
Op-Ed Commentary
Let’s say for argument purposes you think the NDP is doing a lousy job of running B.C. You might even think the NDP is ruining the province, destroying our healthcare, while creating huge debt our grandkids will be saddled with, and creating unelected Indigenous government that has parallel powers to the duly elected government. Let’s say you want to reject the NDP government at the next election. If this is you, read on.
What political party in B.C. is most likely to win a majority in the next election? And who should we choose to lead that party and be our next Premier?
On the first, you will have choices in the next election, but only the Conservative Party of BC will defeat the NDP. The BCC party has a large foothold in the Legislature today. With some good leadership, the party can morph into a big-tent party that can accommodate both federal conservative and federal liberal voters.
Why is that important? From 1952 until 2026, the NDP in B.C. has only been defeated by a party that contains both liberal and conservative voters. In other words, a big tent party – the Social Credit Party for several decades and then the BC Liberal Party.
I am a lifelong conservative. I was a MLA and cabinet minister for 16 years with the BCLP. I didn’t like the party name, but I worked within the party along with many other conservatives, because I believed that being in an Opposition caucus room where everyone agreed with me was less important than being in a government caucus where we got to help our constituents and the province.
Being in Opposition with ideological purity is only a value if your personal opinion is more important than being in government.
The current BCC caucus has been fractured, with sometimes what appears to be a fight to the finish between MLAs to determine who is the “most pure conservative.” This often leaves the impression that more centrist voters do not have a home in this party. Some but not all the good folks who helped build the BCC now realize they must make space for people who have different free enterprise views.
The BCC will need seats in the Lower Mainland where liberal voters are concentrated. Our party must mature into a big tent party like the Socreds or the BC Liberals and accept that a coalition of voters is necessary to defeat the NDP. We must recognize that the election battles in B.C. between right and left are always won in the middle with centrist voters, not at the extreme ends of the spectrum.
For those conservatives who resent the suggestion that we work with those who are not federal conservatives to govern B.C., I say that sitting in a caucus room with people who agree with you on everything is a poor substitute for sitting in a caucus room with diverse views that is running government. Being a “pure conservative” and always being in Opposition is hardly a goal to strive for.
So, who should lead the BCC Party, help it mature into a big-tent party, and deal with the big issues facing the province? There are many candidates for the job. My purpose here is to help you sort out who is best suited to create a bigger tent party and solve our many formidable problems.
There are three quality candidates, all of whom can do the job. MLA Peter Milobar; Yuri Fulmer; Caroline Elliott. You can be the judge of which one is elected leader, if you participate.
Peter was Chair of the Regional District of Thompson-Nicola and Mayor of Kamloops for several years. The BCC caucus is loyal to Peter because he has been a voice of reason since the 2024 election with MLAs being kicked out or quitting the BCC Caucus. He is very skilled at politics and understands the process in Victoria. Trust me, this knowledge must not be undervalued.
Politics is no different from any other endeavor. Experience matters. Peter is honest, smart, motivated and oddly, does not seem to have much of an ego. Peter seems to enjoy listening to others.
Yuri is a long-time, successful small businessperson, owning several restaurants across Western Canada, is Chancellor of Capilano University and is currently Global Chair of United Way Worldwide. Obviously, Yuri is trusted, he knows how to manage a large enterprise, which government is.
He also is recognized widely as a leader. He could manage caucus and help the BCC become a home for all centre-right voters, not just us conservatives. He lacks experience as an elected politician but has run as a candidate for the BCC and has been involved with politics as a volunteer. Yuri is also honest and smart. Of the three, he has the most impressive resume. I wish he had at least some actual experience as an elected person, but he definitely has experience managing people & enterprises.
Caroline is a young woman with a PhD in political science who worked in Victoria for many years with the BC Liberals and helped create the business case for the Site C project I led when I was Minister of Energy. I know her and I like her. This by itself is not enough, but if you search the web for Caroline’s many op eds over the past five years, you will find someone who understands B.C., the problems before us, and has concrete ideas on how to fix those problems.
She is very good on her feet and would be a reassuring public voice who might appeal to more centrist voters, although she herself is conservative. She’s a young Mom and spouse and is honest, smart, and motivated.
I have struggled with who to support, of these three. Peter is job-ready, has a seat in the Legislature, knows the issues, understands the challenges and pitfalls, and is a very decent man. He generally has the support of Caucus. I have no doubt Peter would make a good Premier.
Yuri would also make a good Premier. People from around the globe have installed him as United Way International Chair. He’s been appointed as Chancellor of Capilano University since 2020. He runs a large, geographically spread-out business. He has good character. But he doesn’t have a seat in the Legislature and helping caucus become more of a big tent party will be difficult until he has a seat. He also has never been elected to anything. Conversely, he has managed far larger enterprises than the other candidates, critical for doing the job of Premier.
Caroline has a little more risk associated with electing her as leader, only because of some gaps in her experience. However, she may also have the biggest upside, in terms of her ability to attract centrist voters in a general election. Caroline would bring more young people into the political process, and she is no stranger to the Victoria world.
Whoever is leader must reverse the NDP’s destructive policies that provide a veto to Indigenous British Colombians over anything that happens on public land, such as mining, energy, forestry, tourism and public recreation. Now it appears the NDP want to extend their adventure in virtue-signalling, to private land. This is Job Number One for the next Premier.
In a nutshell, B.C. should follow the principles set by the Supreme Court of Canada and the Canadian Constitution, when working with Indigenous nations. The Supreme Court has stated that governments are obligated to consult with First Nations and accommodate any infringement of traditional territories.
The Supreme Court has NOT said that B.C. should sterilize the use of Crown land and create a second, unelected government to co-govern B.C. This is radically beyond what is required in Canada and a reckless, dangerous NDP experiment. We cannot get our economy going until this very bad policy is terminated.
Which of these leaders can convince British Colombians to follow them in rolling back UNDRIP policies, without succumbing to the inevitable accusations of racism? Caroline will not lose her nerve; is a non-threatening messenger of the changes required and understands the legal and policy issues extremely well.
Yuri also understands and plans to do the right thing. While he lacks political experience, he obviously is a very competent person.
Peter also understands the legal and policy issues; he too is a non-threatening messenger, and he has Indigenous in his family. He knows what he is getting into by wanting to be leader and that may ultimately separate him from the other two very worthy candidates.
I personally am supporting Peter but with high regard for the other two. We need all three of them in senior positions in the next B.C. government.
If you care about changing the government of B.C., you need to have a membership in the Conservative Party of BC to have a vote. It’s very simple to buy one online. You can’t complain after the next election, if you didn’t participate.
– Bill Bennett was Kootenay East MLA from 2001 to 2017 and held five different Cabinet portfolios during that time.
