42nd&Grace

For the greater good. A split only benefits the NDP. We’re a big tent. All familiar phrases from the BC Conservatives. Okay, not the last one. Sadly, that’s the one that now carries the most weight.

After forty years in politics, I’ve said all those talking points myself, and I said them with conviction. That’s why I understand why so many are upset about those abandoning the good ship KLF. But the truth is this: the actions of leadership are driving the exodus. This isn’t a minor policy disagreement. It’s a fundamental question of what kind of party you want to support.

Before the 2013 election, there was real discontent about having a big‑“L” Liberal leading the party. The response was simple: reach out. Senior staff roles were found for people who backed other leadership candidates. No one was punished for choosing a different horse. There was a deliberate effort to make everyone welcome – right down to “free‑enterprise Friday” at the last convention before the vote.

In contrast, KLF has overseen a purge at the party office and in the Legislature. The people most inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt were cast out and replaced with those who fit the demanded ideology.

In the past, it was easier to argue against vote‑splitting because, for the most part, everyone could find a home under the same banner. That allowed the focus to stay on the opponents across the aisle. But what happens when the real conflict is inside your own house?

The direction KLF has chosen – and the actions she’s taken – raise a serious question: what if the greater good is making sure she doesn’t become premier?

That’s the dilemma facing many fiscal conservatives and social moderates. How far are you willing to bend for the party if the party is lurching somewhere you can’t follow?

In politics, you don’t have to like every leader. You don’t have to agree with every decision. But across four permanent leaders and two interim leaders, I can say honestly: I never fundamentally disagreed with the heart of their policies. Implementation, sometimes. The odd idea, occasionally. But never once did it feel like I was betraying who I was.

That’s where many Conservatives find themselves today. That’s why Peter Milobar and Ian Paton have left and more MLAs may join them. It’s why party memberships will be cancelled or quietly left to expire.

The Conservative Party made a choice. KLF is making her own. Nowhere is it written that every right‑of‑centre voter must agree or, if not, silence their vote. Yes, David Eby is probably pleased with the current turmoil. But if more and more people step away from the Conservative vehicle (as they have before, whether to the Socreds or BC United) the ability to change government can still be achieved and done with a sense of pride.