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Lorne Doerkson becomes interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives after Kerry-Lynne Findlay's resignation. A snap election on Oct. 24 could make him premier by Halloween.
Lorne Doerkson spent his birthday on Thursday doing media interviews as the new leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., a role he did not seek out but was suddenly appointed to last week, and that could see him elected premier by Halloween. The two-term Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA was named interim leader of the beleaguered party last Sunday, after the sudden resignation of Kerry-Lynne Findlay amid a caucus revolt. Conservative MLAs selected Mr. Doerkson to replace her and the party’s board approved.
Mr. Doerkson, however, was in South Africa for a conference last weekend and learned of the developments during a layover in Amsterdam as he was travelling home. “I had a call asking if I would accept the nomination,” Mr. Doerkson, 58, said in an interview between collecting signatures to get on the ballot and delivering items to the Clinton Food Bank. “I knew the seriousness of the situation, of course, with rumours of a snap election being called, so at that point, I said yes.”
Lorne Doerkson Takes Helm of B.C. Conservatives
His unplanned ascension caps a remarkable few weeks for a party battered by defections, controversy and internal warfare. On Friday, the provincial NDP seized on another complication, accusing the Conservatives of failing to make clear to voters that keeping Mr. Doerkson on as leader permanently would require a change to the party’s constitution backed by two-thirds of the same fractious membership that elected Ms. Findlay. A spokesperson for the B.C. Conservatives did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Doerkson, a former newspaper publisher, small-business owner and bareback rodeo rider, has been handed two daunting tasks: to restore order to his party and persuade a skeptical electorate that Conservatives are not only ready to govern, but offer a better alternative to the incumbent NDP. The Conservatives enter the race stronger than their recent turmoil might suggest. An Angus Reid Institute poll released on Thursday, two days after provincial NDP Leader David Eby called an early election for Oct. 24, put the Conservatives at 43 per cent support among decided and leaning voters – eight percentage points ahead of the NDP.
The results appear to reflect the frustration with Mr. Eby calling the election two years early, the institute said. But the same poll captured the challenge confronting the new Conservative Leader: A majority (56 per cent) of respondents believe his party is “not ready to govern B.C.” Mr. Doerkson himself remains an unknown entity to most – a factor that could be either hurtful or helpful, said Hamish Telford, a political scientist and professor at the University of the Fraser Valley. “He’s a bit of a blank slate, and you can read into him whatever you want,” he said. “And he seems like a decent bloke.”
Path to Power and Political Challenges
Mr. Doerkson’s appointment drew positive comments online, many from constituents who praised him for the daily video updates he provided during this summer’s wildfires. Others pointed to his votes to allow the introduction of bills to repeal B.C.’s Human Rights Code, and restrict gender-affirming care for minors and prevent students from changing pronouns at school. (Mr. Doerkson has said the votes allowed debate and did not signify support.) At an introductory press conference earlier this week, he said his No. 1 priority if the Conservatives formed government would be to repeal the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The legislation passed unanimously in 2019, with the help of three current Conservative candidates who were then MLAs: Peter Milobar, Teresa Wat and Ian Paton.
He added in an interview that the Conservatives would also prioritize the broader economy, health care and crime. Mr. Doerkson also pushed back against Mr. Eby’s effort to make U.S. President Donald Trump a central theme of the campaign. The NDP Leader has spoken repeatedly of the existential threat posed by Mr. Trump’s trade war, casting the Conservatives as Maple MAGA and his NDP as the only party able to stand up to him. “He’s going to have to find some new material,” Mr. Doerkson said. “I’ll tell you right now: I think Donald Trump is an absolute bully, and the reality is that David Eby and his team have had an opportunity to strengthen this province and have chosen not to.”
Party Turmoil and Upcoming Election
Prof. Telford said the question of how the Conservatives will do extends beyond Mr. Doerkson himself to the ideological divisions and internal power struggles that have consumed the party and its two last leaders. Ms. Findlay lasted just 113 days – less than four months – before stepping down after an exodus of MLAs and a bitter revolt over her leadership. John Rustad, before her, resigned last December after an extended period of strife within the party, and to avoid a further “civil war.” That conflict reflects a broader shift in B.C. conservatism, Prof. Telford said.
Lorne Doerkson B.C. Conservatives Kerry-Lynne Findlay David Eby British Columbia Election Angus Reid Institute Hamish Telford
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