British Columbians handed the Conservatives their first provincial election victory since 1928 on Saturday, ending nine years of New Democratic rule and setting the stage to dismantle a nation-killing climate agenda that sacrificed energy development and economic competitiveness.
Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, set to become premier, pledged to double natural gas production by 2032 and more than triple it by 2035. His party plans to revive the province's oil and gas industry and seek renewed investment from companies that exited its LNG sector, including ExxonMobil, Chevron and Woodside.
"We will cut red tape like it's never been cut before," Doerkson told voters in his victory speech. "We will host a business summit next year in Vancouver that will be the envy of the world. We will welcome capital back to our province."
Here are the highlights (via Reuters):
- The result marks an end to nine years in power for the left-of-center New Democrats, who voiced opposition to new oil pipelines and supported a ban on tankers along the province's northern coast.
- The right-leaning Conservatives won 64 of the 93 seats, and the New Democrats won 27. It is the first Conservative provincial election win since 1928.
- The Conservatives pledged to double natural gas production by 2032 and more than triple it by 2035.
- "I believe in energy... We will cut red tape like it's never been cut before," Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson said in his victory speech.
- Doerkson, who will become the province's next premier, promised to "supercharge" BC. The province will host a business summit in Vancouver next year.
- The Conservatives promised to end emissions limits, replace the province's carbon tax framework and reach out to energy providers that had left the province's LNG sector since 2018.
- Polls showed voters were focused on cost-of-living issues, healthcare and the ongoing trade war with US President Donald Trump.
David Eby's four years as British Columbia's premier ended abruptly when he resigned as NDP leader overnight. His decision to call a snap election two years early, hoping his party would gain more power, backfired royally. This was the NDP's worst election result in 25 years.
Doerkson and the Conservatives have blasted Eby and the NDP over the government's out-of-control debt and deficits. S&P Global Ratings has downgraded the province five times over the past half-decade. Doerkson's platform also aims to shrink the deficit and restore fiscal order.
Beyond British Columbia, left-wing regimes have been failing across the Americas as the progressive experiment, marked by explosive debt, fiscal disarray, left-wing climate experiments, and the woke agenda, has been nothing more than a nation-killing disaster. The same is true in Europe, where progressives and socialists are under pressure amid a growing sense across the West that not just law and order, something the left doesn’t cherish, but also fiscal discipline must return.
The next election to watch is Brazil's runoff on Sunday evening.