British Columbia Conservative Party

The British Columbia Conservative Party (French Parti de la Colombie - Britannique conservateur, translated Conservative Party of British Columbia ) is a conservative political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia. She may be ideologically oriented similarly as the Conservative Party of Canada at the federal level, but has no formal relations. In the first half of the 20th century, the party was dominant in the province of politics, but since then only plays a marginal role.

History

The party was founded in 1900 and decided two years later to put up candidates for the next elections to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The party chairman Richard McBride announced, will in the case of an election victory, the government of party members compositions ( previously the government had always been nichtparteilich ). McBride was convinced that the lack of parties have been destabilized the political system of the province and hinders economic development. The elections in October 1903 were the first with party candidates and were won by the Conservatives.

Under McBride and his successor William John Bowser the Conservatives remained in power for 13 years until they were replaced in 1916 by the Liberals. In 1928 she won re- election victory and a Simon Fraser Tolmie became the new prime minister. Tolmies government reacted extremely hesitant on the world economic crisis. The Conservatives were so torn by internal power struggles that the party leadership decided to set up any official candidates in the elections in November 1933.

In order to prevent the takeover of the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, formed conservatives and liberals after the elections in 1941 a coalition. The Conservative leader, Vice Premier and Finance Minister Herbert Anscomb, wanted to become Prime Minister in 1947 after the resignation of Liberal Prime Minister John Hart himself. But the Liberals had more seats than the Conservatives and prevailed against the coalition partners, so Byron Ingemar Johnson took office. As a result, the relationship between the two parties deteriorated rapidly.

The conservative-liberal coalition government led 1952 Instant Runoff Voting as a voting system, in the expectation that Conservative voters would give the Liberals as a second preference, and vice versa. From this electoral system, however, did not benefit the government parties, but the British Columbia Social Credit Party. This was led by WAC Bennett, who had previously tried unsuccessfully a year to become chairman of the Conservative and had resigned from the party. The coalition broke apart and in the elections of 1953 the Conservatives were totally marginalized.

After losing their last parliamentary seat in the elections 1956, the Conservative Party was decreased to insignificance. In 1972, she could indeed regain two seats, but this success proved ultimately from meaningless. Since 1979, the party is not represented in the provincial parliament. The main reason for this is that until the early 1990s, the British Columbia Social Credit Party and since then the British Columbia Liberal Party covering almost the same electoral base.

Election results

1 electoral alliance with the British Columbia Liberal Party

Party chairman

P = Prime Minister

  • Charles Wilson ( March 1900 - 1903)
  • Richard McBride (1903 - December 1915 ) P
  • William John Bowser ( December 1915 - August 1924 ) P
  • Robert Henry Pooley ( August 1924 - November 1926 )
  • Simon Fraser Tolmie ( November 1926 - may 1936) P
  • Frank Porter Patterson (July 1936 - February 1938 )
  • Royal Maitland ( September 1938 - March 1946 )
  • Herbert Anscomb ( April 1946 - November 1952 )
  • Deane Finlayson ( November 1952 - April 1961 )
  • Davie Fulton ( January 1963 - April 1965 )
  • John DeWolf (June 1969 - November 1971 )
  • Derril Warren ( November 1971 - September 1973 )
  • George Scott Wallace ( December 1973 - July 1977 )
  • Victor Albert Stephens ( October 1977 - February 1980)
  • Brian Westwood ( November 1980 - August 1982)
  • Peter Pollen March ( 1985 - August 1986 )
  • Peter B. Macdonald (July 1991 - August 1996)
  • David Maurice Mercier ( March 1997 - January 2001)
  • Susan Power January (2001 - 2002)
  • Kenneth King Edgar (2003 - 2004)
  • Barry Chilton (2004 - 2005)
  • Wilfred Hanni (since 2005)
Conservatism John Hart (Canadian politician) Boss Johnson List of political parties in Canada
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