Paul Forseth is a commentator from BC and served as a Member of Parliament from 1993 until 2006.Who is Lorne Doerkson, the newly appointed leader of the BC Conservative Party? He is the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin and was first elected in 2020 as a BC Liberal. That was the so-called free-enterprise coalition party before its name change in 2022 to BC United under leader Kevin Falcon. Doerkson crossed the floor to be the third MLA to join the rising BC Conservative Party in the spring of 2024.Under the BC United banner, Doerkson served as opposition critic for rural development and as the party's deputy whip. Then his defection from BC United came as manoeuvres for a possible non-competition deal between the two parties dissolved. Observers recall the subsequent stunning political move when leader Kevin Falcon collapsed the BC United Party’s campaign. Supporters had already voted with their wallets, and the Kevin Falcon electoral bid evaporated. Falcon’s manoeuvre was an attempt to follow public opinion polls that were strongly coalescing behind the BC Conservatives to replace the NDP. It almost worked, with the NDP winning 47 seats, the Conservatives 44, and the Greens 2. In 2024, Doerkson was re-elected under the BC Conservative banner, winning with 69.59% of the vote and, after the election in November, was named assistant deputy speaker of the Legislature under then-party leader John Rustad. Rustad was later unceremoniously ousted by the caucus, and a leadership race in which the full membership could vote ensued. Kerry-Lynne Findlay won the race on May 30.Doerkson took over on September 20 from Findlay, who stepped down after a caucus revolt and betrayals before she could firmly establish herself as the newly elected leader. Findlay resigned after just 113 days in the role following her win.Doerkson was recommended by the remaining members of the Conservative caucus and approved by the party's board of directors. Party president Mauro Francis said, "Our caucus and party will now move forward together, focused on providing strong opposition and representing British Columbians across the province."Doerkson, 58, was born in New Westminster and moved to Salmon Arm when he was 13. He is married, has two daughters, and has lived in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region for nearly three decades. He spent 20 years in the newspaper industry as a publisher with Black Press, focusing on communications and community outreach. After leaving the publishing sector, he transitioned to financial consulting with Investors Group, where he provided financial planning and advisory services..In addition to his professional roles, Doerkson has been involved with many community organizations such as the Williams Lake Stampede, the Williams Lake Chamber of Commerce, the BC Community Newspaper Association, and the Hough Memorial Cancer Society. He has received two Community Booster awards from the Williams Lake Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to local initiatives. He has a high profile in his local community from extensive public service.On policy, Doerkson has previously prioritized healthcare reform, advocating for increased access to medical services in rural communities. He supports some privatization of clinics and the provision of incentives for healthcare professionals to work in high-need and remote areas.On environmental issues, Doerkson has called for enhanced forest management, wildfire prevention, and ecosystem restoration efforts, including reforestation and the reduction of glyphosate spraying. He has also emphasized the importance of infrastructure investments to support rural communities.Doerkson has expressed support for reconciliation with indigenous communities through financial partnerships and collaborative initiatives, such as cultural centres and resource development projects. His party platform in 2024 said the “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) would be repealed, and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) school curriculum cancelled.”The BC Conservative policy website has now been deleted, leaving only a blank page saying ‘coming soon.’Nevertheless, the BC Conservative leader hit the campaign trail in Surrey on September 27 by promising no new taxes on British Columbians..He said, “I am announcing that if I am Premier, I will make the affordability crisis a top priority for our new government. When you don’t balance books, you cannot move ahead. In fact, when you can't balance books year after year, the problem is serious, and the end is near. We are blessed with talent and resources, and the most beautiful geography in the world, and yet our economy is struggling, our industries are in peril, and life has never been more expensive than it is today.”A September 27 BC Conservative Party press release said multiple NDP tax hikes have hurt working British Columbians. Doerkson vowed no new taxes throughout his government’s term after a decade of nonstop NDP tax increases.On September 28, Doerkson announced an ambitious plan to turn BC into an energy superpower after a lost NDP decade by doubling LNG production by 2032 and tripling it by 2035. Some of these projects are already in various stages of approval and planning. Doerkson said that under the NDP, BC has fallen far short of its potential. At one point, 18 LNG projects were proposed. Nearly all ran into the brick wall of the NDP ideology.The NDP are talking about expanding LNG, thereby running against themselves and their administrative record and raising a basic trust problem for the voter.On the matter of trust, Doerkson said, “British Columbia has the rule of law, is a stable democracy, and is one of the richest gas basins on earth, and has the closest North American ports to Asia. The question is whether we will build it. We have everything we need to become an energy superpower.”Although the Conservative Party platform is still developing, it has chosen its theme: “Standing Strong, For Change.” The NDP mantra appears to be “Build BC Strong.”Paul Forseth is a commentator from BC and served as a Member of Parliament from 1993 until 2006.
