Polls Close; Conservatives Encouraged At Merritt Town Hall

Encouraged by recent polling numbers, provincial Conservative leader John Rustad made an election style speech to party faithful at an Town Hall Open House at the Merritt Civic Cetre on Sunday evening.

Depending on what polls you look at, it appears that when voters cast their ballots on October 19, it will be a tight race between the governing NDP and the Conservatives.

The latest data from Vancouver-based Research Co. has David Eby’s government at 42 per cent support of respondents while the Conservatives sit at 32 per cent.  Meanwhile 338Canada reports the numbers are actually closer as the NDP sit at 39 per cent of decided voters while the Rustad’s Conservatives are at 35 per cent.

“It’s been remarkable around the province, just to watch how things are growing for the Conservative Party,” said Rustad in an interview with Q101 news. “People used to ask who is the Conservative Party and what are they doing; and now people are excited about our policies and what we stand for and it’s giving them hope.”

It’s been over ninety-years since the Conservative party has formed a government in British Columbia (Simon Fraser Tolmie 1928-1933), and since 1991 both the Liberal Party, now BC United, and the NDP have held the balance of power in the legislature.

“Our province is in a crisis here, whether its health care, crime, the economy, housing, addictions, education and people are asking how do, I stay in BC?”, he noted. People tell us,  I’m working one maybe two jobs, I’m struggling to put food on the table, struggling to pay rent, I can’t hope to buy a home; so how do I raise a family? ”

The governing NDP curently hold 55-seats in the legislature followed by the BC United (formerly BC Liberal), 26, Green Party 2, Conservatives 2 and two independents. Rustad feels the time is ripe for change.

“It’s been 33-years, sixteen under the Liberals and seventeen governed by the NDP and people are looking for an alternative,” Rustad added. “That’s why people look at us and say I don’t want more of what has lead us to this problem, I want something different. That’s what we are presenting to people.”

Former Merritt city councillor Tony Luck will be the party’s standard bearer when the provincial writ is dropped, and Rustad could not be more pleased.

“I’m really pleased with Tony (Luck), he’s a quality guy, he really cares about people and his community,” Rustad said. “He has the right personality  and the right work ethic to work hard to the people here in Fraser Nicola and I think we are very fortunate to have Tony running for us under the Conservative banner.”

In the 2020 provincial election, the BC Conservatives did not have a candidate run in the Fraser Nicola riding. Incumbant MLA Jackie Tagert narrowly defeated Aaron Sumexheltza by less than 300 votes, her closest margin of victory since winning  the seat in 2013.

Aside from Tony Luck on the the ballot for the Conservatives and Jackie Tagert looking to retain her BC United seat, Jonah Timms will represent the Green Party on October 19. The NDP have not announced a candidate so far in the riding.