The Reform Party of British Columbia (Reform BC) is a populist political party in British Columbia, Canada, which for much of its history was associated with the right wing. Although it shared a name and considerable policy overlap with the Reform Party of Canada, it never received any official recognition from the federal party.

Founding

Reform BC was formed in the early 1980s, but accomplished little or nothing as a party throughout that decade. In the October 17, 1991 provincial election, the party nominated 4 candidates in the 75 ridings, who collected 2,673 votes, or 0.18% of the popular vote.

After the 1991 general election, Reform BC gained prominence when four of the seven remaining Social Credit MLAs crossed the floor to Reform. This was done in part to capitalise on the popularity of the Reform Party of Canada. Despite attempts to take over Social Credit, Reform was unable to absorb it and lay claim to the right side of the political spectrum.

In the May 28, 1996 election, the party nominated candidates in all of the province’s 75 ridings, and collected 146,734 votes (9.27% of the popular vote). The party retained two seats in the Legislature, but two of their sitting MLAs were defeated.

Decline

Many blamed Reform for splitting the right wing vote and helping the New Democratic Party of British Columbia under Glen Clark get re-elected. The leader, Jack Weisgerber decided to step down as leader. At the August 30, 1997 leadership convention in Surrey, Wilf Hanni was elected leader over John Motiuk and Adrian Wade. Hanni, an oil industry worker, alienated both of the MLAs and drove them out of the party. Richard Neufeld crossed to the BC Liberals, and is now a cabinet minister. Jack Wesigerber has been appointed as BC's representative on the British Columbia Treaty Commission . The loss of the two MLAs was the effective end of the party.

Failed merger into BC Unity

Following Hanni's resignation, at the November 12-13, 1999 leadership convention, former Social Credit premier Bill Vander Zalm was acclaimed as leader of the party. Vander Zalm attempted to orchestrate a merger of Reform with other right-wing parties, but ran into stiff opposition from a centrist old guard. Following some controversy over paperwork submission deadlines, the Reform Party was de-registered as a BC political party in February 2001. At the time, they were in second place in the polls, with a one percentage point lead over the NDP, and had been in second place for the previous year.

The Vander Zalm wing of the party later joined with four other right-wing parties (the British Columbia Social Credit Party, the British Columbia Conservative Party, the British Columbia Party, and the British Columbia Family Coalition Party ) to form the BC Unity Party, while other members re-registered "Reform BC" and swung back to the political centre.

In the 2001 provincial election, the Reform Party nominated 8 candidates, who received a total of 3,008 votes (2.03% of the total vote) in the ridings in which they ran. Reform received over 2% of the vote in 5 ridings. Its best result was in Surrey-Green Timbers, where the party won 3.5% of the vote.

Failed merger into Democratic Reform BC

In 2004, Reform BC became involved in efforts to create a new centrist coalition. On January 16, 2005, the Democratic Reform British Columbia (DRBC) party was created taking much of Reform's executive with it. Other members of the party, however, have decided to continue Reform BC.

The difference of opinion between the group that left for DRBC and those continunig Reform BC appears to reveolve around three issues:

• Reform BC rejects the current initiative referendum on Electoral Reform, where as DRBC spports it.

• Reform BC rejects guaranteeing four seats in the Legislature exclusively for First Nations (aboriginal) people.

• Reform BC rejects the Kyoto Accord.

The party is developing a platform and intends to nominate candidates to contest the 2005 election.

Party Leaders

• Ron Gamble (?-January 15, 1995)
• Jack Weisgerber (January 15, 1995-October 30, 1997)
• Wilf Hanni (October 30, 1997-June 1998)
• Bill Vander Zalm (November 13, 1999- 2000?)

See also

• British Columbia Reform Party Leadership Elections
• List of political parties in Canada

External link

• Official site