B.C. United caucus chair Lorne Doerkson defects to Conservatives

Lorne Doerkson, who served as the B.C. United party'scaucus chair,defectedto the B.C. Conservatives, adding to the woes of the province's official Opposition.

Doerkson, who represents Cariboo-Chilcotin, and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad announced the move on Friday afternoon. It increases the party's numbers in the legislature to three.

The move comes after talks between the two right-of-centre parties broke down amid failure to settle on a deal to avoid vote splitting in the fall provincial election.

Doerkson made the switchbecause the election set for October is "simply too consequential" and his constituents want to see a Conservative government, he said in a statement.

The B.C. Conservatives are the only party capable of defeating the current NDP government, he said.

"I look forwardtoworking with John Rustad and the Conservative team," he said. "Whether it is axing the carbon tax, revitalizing our resource sector or reforming our broken health-care system, it's never been more clear thatB.C. needs a common sense government."

Doerkson was first elected in 2020 and has served as B.C. United's shadow ministers for water, land and resource stewardship and rural development, and for emergency management and climate readiness.

Kevin Falcon, leader of the B.C. United, said during a Saturdaypress conference that he'sdisappointedbyDoerkson's decision.

"For us, principles and values are actually really important," he said. "To have somebody that we've heard internally talk about how appalled he is by the B.C. Conservative's positions, especially on social conservative issues, to then walk over and join that party is obviously disappointing."

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Both Rustad and fellow Conservative Bruce Banman were previously members of B.C. United under the party's former name, the B.C. Liberals.

Rustad said in the statement thatDoerksonwould be a strongB.C. Conservative MLA for the riding.

"Lornehas been a tireless advocate for his region and the vital resources within it. Whether it's natural resources or small business,Lorneis an individual who puts his constituents first and that is exactly the kind of advocate we need in the legislature," he said.

Before Doerkson's move, the standings in the 87-seat B.C. legislature were: 55 NDP, 25 B.C. United, three B.C. Greens, two B.C. Conservatives and two independents.

The number of seats is set to jump to 93 for the next election and Rustad said he plans to run a full slate of candidates.

A new Angus Reid poll put the governing B.C. NDP ahead of its rivals, and the official Opposition, B.C. United, in third place.

The B.C. NDPhad41 per cent support among those polled, while the B.C. Conservatives followed with 30 per cent. B.C. United had 16 per cent support while the B.C. Greens had 11 per cent.

Falcon brushed off the poll during the Saturday press conference, saying that most British Columbians are not paying attention to an election that's stillmonths away. He added that when they do, they would prefer a moderatealternative to the status quo.

"They're not going to be looking for an extreme social conservative party. They're going to look for mainstream, and that's where the B.C. United comes in."