A former MLA hopes that her new political party will eventually come up the middle between the B.C. NDP and the Conservative Party of B.C. to form government. 

Leader Karin Kirkpatrick, who served in the provincial legislature between 2020 and 2024 as a B.C.United/B.C. Liberal, formally introduced 'Centre B.C.' in Victoria Thursday (April 10).

"If you are tired of polarization in this province, if you are tired of petty politics getting in the way of getting good things done, then please come and get involved with Centre B.C. and help build the British Columbia that we know is possible," Kirkpatrick said. 

Joined by other party members, Kirkpatrick announced the new party in Victoria with the provincial legislature as a backdrop and that is where the party ultimately wants to end up.with ambitions beyond it.

"If I didn't think we had a chance of forming government, I wouldn't be standing here, having this conversation," she said. "We have got three years to build a great team. If there is a by-election in the interim, we will certainly have a candidate there as well. So absolutely, I can see us forming government."

She added that the party would approach issues in a pragmatic and evidence-based way in a promising a government that is "both compassionate and fiscally responsible." 

She said Centre BC would deliver a strong private sector economy, well-funded public services and long-term investments, while avoiding political theatrics. 

She said both former New Democrat MLA Adam Walker and former B.C. United MLA Tom Shypitka have joined the party following its formal registration. She added others may join while stressing the party is not actively recruiting any sitting MLAs.

"We have been having conversations, casual conversations with a number of elected and unelected officials across the spectrum," she said. "There does seem to be interest in having a conversation. We are not actively engaged in recruiting anyone at this point, but as you know, two members in the (legislature) are an official party in the legislature. But we want to make sure we have got the right people, whether they are already sitting in the (legislature) or not." 

Kirkpatrick said the party has been drawing interest from across the political spectrum, including federal Liberals. But B.C. is too different from the rest of Canada to have a provincial arm of the federal Liberal party, she added. 

"When you look at (federal Liberal Leader) Mark Carney, he is very much a centrist and you can see that there is national support for that, that there is an appetite for that," she said, when asked whether the party hopes to benefit from the surge in federal Liberal support. "But we are not a provincial Liberal party," she said in pointing to support from federal Conservatives as well as others with no specific federal connection.

While Kirkpatrick had decided against seeking re-election in 2024, she reversed her decision by deciding to run as an independent in her riding of West Vancouver-Capilano. She re-entered electoral politics after BC United Leader Kevin Falcon suspended that party's campaign in mid-August 2024. While Kirkpatrick's independent run failed, she cited Falcon's decision as a rationale for launching the new party. 

"This capitulation sent shock waves throughout the province and it left countless British Columbians without a home," she said. "In its wake, voters were told that they needed to pick between two options." 

On one hand, Kirkpatrick accused the B.C. NDP of being out-of-touch while 鈥渞ecklessly鈥� mismanaging the economy without delivering improved services. On the other hand, Conservatives "seem more focused on importing Republican culture ware and electing conspiracy theorists than on the pressing issues of day, like housing, health care and affordability," she said. 

She added that the party has given safe harbour to "conspiracy theorists and hateful extremists." While some have been expelled, "many of the worst offenders" still remain, she said. Kirkpatrick was referring to the expulsion of Dallas Brodie from the Conservative caucus following her comments about residential school survivors and members of what was then her own party. Two other former Conservatives -- Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong -- have since joined Brodie to sit as independents. 

"They are not what a government-in-waiting should look like," she said. "They practically guarantee another NDP government." 

When asked why she was so dismissive of a party that came within an inch of forming government by electing 44 MLAs and currently holds 41 seats in the legislature, Kirkpatrick suggested that British Columbia dodged a bullet. 

"What you would have right now...is Dallas Brodie and some of these other members actually in government with their finger-prints on policy," she said. While Kirkpatrick acknowledged a "blue wave" during the last provincial election, she added it is unlikely many Conservatives would win again, given what has happened since.