The BC Liberal Party will soon be known as BC United after party members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the change.
Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok and Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka are both glad to see this change come to the party.
Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new name.
“I wasn’t surprised by the 80 per cent support. I think it’s overdue that we have a name that’s more representative of who we are,” said Shypitka.
“I’m incredibly proud of [party leader] Kevin Falcon. He kept his promise when he said he would put the name change, and he did, he kept his word,” said Clovechok.
Both local MLAs support the party distancing themselves from the federal Liberals.
“We’ve been the BC Liberals for a very long time, and we actually have nothing to do with the federal Liberals in terms of alignment or affiliation,” said Clovechok. “It’s going to be an incredibly inclusive party, whether you’re a federal Conservative, Liberal or you don’t really have any party affiliation at all.”
“To pen a name that suggests it may be leaning one way or another is not fair to federal Liberals or federal Conservatives. We need to have a name that’s more neutral and more representative of being a big coalition, and BC United speaks to that,” said Shypitka.
The name will now go to ratification and then implemented when the party feels the time is right.
“We have to be strategic in making the name change because we don’t want to be in the middle of changing our name to the BC United when an election comes without getting the proper branding and getting people comfortable,” said Shypitka.