Former B.C. United MLA courts centrist voters with new political party [Video]

Former MLA Karin Kirkpatrick has launched a new political party, Centre B.C., after abandoning attempts to get Kevin Falcon to step down as leader of B.C. United, formerly B.C. Liberals.

Kirkpatrick said she was left politically homeless when Falcon withdrew B.C. United from last year’s provincial election campaign — and so were many political centrists like her.

“There are a lot of federal Liberals who were homeless and voted for the NDP in the last election. We’re giving them an opportunity to come back to us,” Kirkpatrick told CBC News during a visit to Victoria, accompanied by her 22-year-old daughter.

“We’ve seen so much divisive conversation in politics over the last year … a lot of people in British Columbia were looking for an alternative that was more balanced,” said Kirkpatrick, who represented West Vancouver-Capilano from 2020 to 2024.

Kirkpatrick ran unsuccessfully as an Independent in the last provincial election. That riding was won by B.C. Conservative Lynne Block.

WATCH | Kirkpatrick aims to offer voters another …