Political scientists see the Conservative Party of B.C. in the driver-seat when it comes to challenging the B.C. NDP, but it is not clear whether the provincial Tories will make in-roads in vote-rich urban B.C.

Dennis Pilon, Chair in the Department of Politics at York University, who previously taught at the University of Victoria, said the current split on the right side of the political spectrum is nothing new.

First the Socreds, then the B.C. Liberals, represented coalitions of more socially liberal urban voters and socially conservative rural voters, who found common ground in being pro-enterprise, fiscally conservative and anti-NDP, Pilon said.

Tensions have always defined these coalitions and the provincial Conservatives are currently benefiting from increased polarization and the strength of the federal Conservatives, he added. But this rise is not happening evenly across the province. Polls show the provincial Conservatives behind the NDP in Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria.

91裸聊视频淭hey (Conservatives) are looking like they are in the pole position to see voters come to them as a party that can beat the NDP, but it is not clear that urban right-wingers will be prepared to sign on to the Conservatives,91裸聊视频� Pilon said.

Only the election will tell whether enough former B.C. Liberals in the urban parts of B.C. 91裸聊视频� many of them federal Liberals 91裸聊视频� are 91裸聊视频減repared to hold their nose and vote for a party with conservative in its name,91裸聊视频� Pilon said.

He made these comments following Monday91裸聊视频檚 defection of high-profile MLA Elenore Sturko to the Conservative Party of B.C. from B.C. United.

Its leader Kevin Falcon had personally recruited Sturko to run in Surrey-South, which she won in the fall of 2022. She has since then emerged as one of the most prolific MLAs on either side of the legislature.

UBC political scientist Stewart Prest considers her departure to the provincial Conservatives under John Rustad a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant coup91裸聊视频� for the party.

Sturko stands apart from her three caucus colleagues in several ways. She is not only a woman representing a fast-growing urban riding in Metro Vancouver, she is also a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Pilon said it not necessarily unusual for members of that community to be part of parties on the right side of political spectrum, pointing to former B.C. Liberal MLA Lorne Mayencourt.

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Prest said Sturko can 91裸聊视频渉elp bolster91裸聊视频� the argument of the provincial Conservatives as 91裸聊视频渕ore of a big-tent91裸聊视频� right-of-centre party.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 sure they (Conservatives) are really hoping that,91裸聊视频� Pilon added.

But Prest and Pilon each expressed reservations about how far Sturko91裸聊视频檚 new party and ultimately voters might buy her turn.

91裸聊视频淚n this case, to see someone who is a self-described 2SLGBTQ activist joining a conservative party seems bit of a stretch and I can91裸聊视频檛 help but feel people are going to see it as being pretty opportunistic,91裸聊视频� Pilon said.

Prest, meanwhile, raises questions about the Conservatives91裸聊视频� ideological consistency and whom the party actually represents. 91裸聊视频淏ecause up until last year, it really was a party that was a welcoming home91裸聊视频�for the skeptics of modernity,91裸聊视频� he said in pointing to the party91裸聊视频檚 outside-the-mainstream positions on climate change, vaccines and social inclusion.

91裸聊视频�(Those) voices are still there and they have been amplified,91裸聊视频� Prest said. 91裸聊视频淭he scrutiny is only going to increase this morning (after Sturko91裸聊视频檚 defection).91裸聊视频�

Rustad has consistently said his party has never been about any ideology and Sturko said Monday that she accepted the apology of Conservative candidate Paul Ratchford, who called her a 91裸聊视频渨oke, lesbian, social justice warrior91裸聊视频� on social media.

91裸聊视频淵es, we could talk about Twitter all day, but what we need to do is unite with a party that is resonating with British Columbians,91裸聊视频� Sturko said Monday.

Others have been less forgiving. Figures inside and outside of B.C. United have highlighted Sturko91裸聊视频檚 previous criticisms of her new party. Some have also accused her of betraying the 2SLGBTQ community, a charge she has rejected.

Looking back, it is not unusual for a new centre-of-right party to emerge out of the ashes of another one, Pilon said. W.A.C Bennett, perhaps synoymous with the Socreds, was once a provincial Conservative, he said. B.C. Liberals, for their part, had emerged out of the Socreds.

Notably, B.C.91裸聊视频檚 first-past-the-post, winner-take-all-electoral system leaves no room for a divided right, something Pilon finds ironic.

91裸聊视频淭hey could adopt a proportional system and then every vote would count. But 91裸聊视频榥o, no, no,91裸聊视频� they wanted to keep this system where the votes don91裸聊视频檛 necessarily match up with the seats,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭his is the dilemma that the two right-of-centre parties have now. They actually don91裸聊视频檛 want to unite.91裸聊视频�

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