Former federal minister Herb Dhaliwal seeks to establish “New Liberal Party of British Columbia”

FORMER federal minister and businessman Herb Dhaliwal announced on Friday that he is seeking registration with Elections BC of a new provincial political party — the “New Liberal Party” — intended to provide British Columbians with a moderate, pragmatic and forward-looking alternative to the province’s existing political choices.

Dhaliwal, who was a Cabinet minister when Jean Chretien was Prime Minister, said this initiative is being launched in response to what he sees as an unacceptably significant political vacuum at the centre of B.C. politics.

“British Columbians deserve a political choice that is fiscally responsible, socially moderate, economically ambitious and focused relentlessly on competent government,” Dhaliwal said. “There is a large constituency in this province that does not see itself reflected in the increasingly polarized choices now before it. The New Liberal Party is intended to give those British Columbians a political home.”

Dhaliwal believes the current developments inside the Conservative Party of B.C. expose a much broader problem. “British Columbia politics is becoming polarized at precisely the time when many voters are looking for practical solutions closer to the political centre,” he stated. “The province should not have to choose between an NDP government that many British Columbians believe has grown tired and mistake-prone and an opposition consumed by internal divisions and debates over an increasingly socially conservative direction. There is room — and, I believe, a real demand — for something different. Something better.”

The New Liberal Party will be an independent provincial political organization focused exclusively on British Columbia and its priorities. Dhaliwal said his initiative will now proceed through the necessary Elections BC registration process while its organizers begin discussions with British Columbians interested in building the party, developing policy and establishing a province-wide organization. Its objective, he said, is not simply to add another name to the ballot but to build a credible political institution capable of competing for government as well as delivering sound and effective public policy for the betterment of all British Columbians.

“This cannot be about nostalgia, and it cannot be about rebuilding yesterday’s party,” Dhaliwal asserted. “British Columbia has changed. Our economy has changed. The challenges facing families, businesses and communities have changed. A new centrist party must begin by listening and then offer serious, modern solutions.

In Dhaliwal’s view, the political events of recent days reinforce the urgency of creating that alternative. “When both sides of the political divide are struggling to command the confidence of a broad cross-section of British Columbians, the answer should not be greater polarization,” he said. “The answer can and should be a strong, sensible centre.”

According to Dhaliwal, the New Liberal Party of B.C. “will seek to build that centre — open to people who believe in economic opportunity and fiscal responsibility, but also in social moderation, tolerance and effective public services. Above all, it will be a party for British Columbians who want competent government and practical results.”

Further details concerning the New Liberal Party of B.C., its organizational leadership, founding principles and registration process will be announced as the initiative progresses, Dhaliwal said.