Byelection losses are not an indication the government is in trouble, says a local Liberal.
The Liberals were easily trounced by the NDP in both Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope Thursday.
“I am disappointed but not surprised,” said Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA.
“With a few exceptions, the government doesn’t win byelections. The NDP ran a very high profile candidate in Port Moody and in Chilliwack, there was a split vote.”
In Port Moody-Coquitlam, the NDP had 54 per cent of the vote, while there was 30 per cent for the Liberals and 15 per cent for the Conservatives.
For Chilliwack-Hope, the NDP captured 41 per cent of the vote while the Liberals had 31 per cent and the Conservatives garnered 25 per cent.
Some pundits had suggested the Conservatives could trump the Liberals, but that didn’t occur.
“Finishing a strong second in both constituencies bodes well for us,” said Foster, who admits his party has some work to do before the 2013 general election.
“We need to get the coalition strong again and ask, ‘What’s driving you out of our camp and into the Conservative camp?’”
While he’s reluctant to call the byelections a precursor to the next provincial vote, local NDP candidate Mark Olsen believes trends are surfacing.
“People are looking for positive change. The Liberals have lost moral authority to govern the province and the NDP won because it ran a good, strong, positive campaign,” he said.
“People are tired of the government and being told one thing and another thing happening.”
While Premier Christy Clark suggests the NDP win is a result of the B.C. Conservatives splitting the free-enterprise vote, Olsen disagrees.
“In Port Moody, the NDP got 54 per cent so it (split) doesn’t matter. It doesn’t come into play,” he said.
“It’s pretty sad commentary to say, ‘Vote for us or someone else will get in.’ Run on your record.”
The B.C. Conservatives had hoped the byelections would provide a breakthrough for the party.
“Personally, the results are disappointing on the provincial level,” said Scott Anderson, with the Vernon-Monashee constituency association.
“But I’m confident that a year from now, our Vernon-Monashee voters, given a choice between the irresponsible NDP who gutted the province for a decade, the tax-and-spend Liberals, and the grass-roots conservatism of the B.C. Conservatives – will make the intelligent choice and vote for the B.C. Conservatives.”
