New centrist provincial political party launched by former BC United MLA
Amid a perceived gap in the provincial political landscape, a former BC United MLA has launched a new political party aimed at capturing centrist voters.
On Thursday, Karin Kirkpatrick announced the official formation of the CentreBC party, which she says is a “pragmatic, moderate option” between the left-leaning BC NDP and the right-leaning Conservative Party of BC. This move also follows the collapse of the BC United party, formerly the BC Liberals, led by Kevin Falcon.
“Our team has heard from countless British Columbians, during the 2024 provincial election and ever since, about the lack of a pragmatic, centrist choice for voters in this province,” said Kirkpatrick in a statement.
“There is clear demand for a party focused on evidence-based policy, fiscal responsibility, and a balanced approach to governing.”
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Kirkpatrick previously served as the MLA for the riding of West Vancouver–Capilano from 2020 until the October 2024 provincial general election.
Initially elected as a member of BC United, she ran unsuccessfully as an independent in last fall’s election. She finished third with 5,236 votes — unseated by BC Conservative candidate Lynne Block, who received 12,050 votes and trailed BC NDP candidate Sara Eftekhar, who secured 7,005 votes.
CentreBC’s formation as an official party received approval from Elections BC in early April. Kirkpatrick says she has received “significant interest from across the political spectrum” from over two dozen current and former elected officials from both the municipal and provincial levels about membership and potentially running in the next provincial election.
The party intends to field candidates in all 93 ridings in the next general provincial election scheduled for October 2028.
“Last election, voters were stuck between an ineffective, out-of-touch NDP government and the BC Conservatives, who are obsessed with importing Republican-style culture war issues and conspiracy theories,” continued Kirkpatrick.
“The vast majority of voters just want a competent government focused on addressing issues of the day like housing, healthcare, and cost-of-living — we will run on a platform that aims to deliver a strong private sector economy, well-funded public services, and a long-term approach to investing in infrastructure.”
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