GAUDREAULT: It's time to rebuild a BC Liberal Party

British Columbia’s political landscape is stuck. Voters are being asked to choose between a government that repeatedly fails to execute and an opposition that continues to double down on ideology and divisive rhetoric.

On one side, you have an NDP government that keeps missing the mark. From the deeply flawed 2026 budget to the premier’s flip-flops on DRIPA, the government continues to lack a consistent vision and often contradicts itself on critical issues. 

On the other, the BC Conservatives are consumed by a leadership race defined by strict ideological purity tests and an increased focus on divisive social issues. A shift further to the right and away from the broad coalition needed to win in BC politics seems like an inevitable outcome. 

At a time when the province needs serious, disciplined leadership, voters are left without a credible, pragmatic option. 

That gap is real — and it’s exactly why the case for rebuilding a provincial Liberal Party matters.

The Liberal brand is now more popular than ever in this province. Earlier this month, according to a poll from Mainstreet Research, over 51% of British Columbians would have voted Liberal at a federal level if an election were being held. That is an increase of nearly 10% over the results of the 2025 Federal Election, which was already the best result in BC for the federal Liberals since 1968.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal Liberals have returned to their roots as a centrist, big-tent party. Canadians from across the political spectrum, including elected members of both the Conservatives and NDP, have coalesced around the party.

This formula of big-tent politics isn’t new, and it isn’t unique. It’s a strategy we can, and should, employ in our provincial politics. Under the right leadership and correct positioning, it isn’t hard to imagine a provincial Liberal party emerging as a serious competitor to form government. 

Unfortunately, one person stands in its way: Kevin Falcon.

Under BC’s Election Act, political parties are restricted from registering a name that is similar to a party which is already registered or to one that has been registered in the previous 10 years. Effectively, this means that BC United, which changed its name from the BC Liberals in 2023 in a disastrous rebrand, continues to hold the legal rights to the Liberal name in BC.  

BC United is still a registered party with Elections BC, and Kevin Falcon continues to hold onto its leadership. However, besides that, the party largely sits dormant.

The party’s website is down. The membership portal is still up but throws an error whenever someone tries to sign up. And the party hasn’t held an AGM or done any political organizing since it folded in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

There are no excuses anymore. According to its 2025 Annual Financial Report, the party is no longer even in debt. One can only assume that Falcon is purposefully holding the name hostage to block a Liberal Party from reemerging. 

Kevin Falcon continues to be involved in BC politics, just not with the party he is leading. It’s been reported that he is actively supporting and organizing for his sister-in-law, Caroline Elliott, as she campaigns for the leadership of the BC Conservatives.

This isn’t right. You can’t hold a brand hostage from thousands of Liberals who want to use it simply because you think it will help your preferred party win. Kevin Falcon and his allies need to resign and turn over the party to those who want to build a Liberal option in BC.

I am lucky to have lived in BC my entire life. After all, our province is one of the best places in the world to live. But many young British Columbians face a choice between staying in the province we all love and exploring opportunities elsewhere in the country. Over the last few years, thousands of young individuals and families have chosen the latter, leaving the province at a record level.

It shouldn’t be this way. Our province has the ingredients necessary to create high-quality opportunities here at home. We have a well-educated and diverse population, our geography positions us well as our country pushes to build major projects and rapidly diversify our trade with the world, and we have an abundance of natural resources.

As we stare down unprecedented levels of uncertainty, the next decade will be crucial for us. BC needs an option that is going to block out the noise and get down to the serious business of governing this province.

It’s time for Liberals to start organizing in BC provincial politics again. The opportunity is real. A rebuilt provincial Liberal Party wouldn’t just be viable, it would fill the gap that BC voters are increasingly being forced to navigate without. British Columbians deserve that choice on their ballot. It’s time to build it.

Hudson Gaudreault is a mathematics student at the University of Victoria and federal Liberal.