B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad (right) introduces new candidate Chris Moore at the legislature in Victoria on June 19.Dirk Meissner/The Canadian Press
BC United Leader Kevin Falcon has lost another member of his election team to British Columbia’s Conservative Party.
Business leader and former District of Sechelt councillor Chris Moore announced he will no longer represent BC United in the October provincial election in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding and will instead run as a candidate for Leader John Rustad’s Conservatives.
Falcon’s party has lost several high-profile candidates and members to the Conservatives recently, including members of the legislature Elenore Sturko and Lorne Doerkson who crossed the floor and said they'll seek re-election as Conservatives.
Moore attended a news conference at the B.C. legislature on Wednesday to say he is making a difficult decision but believes the Conservative message is resonating more deeply with him and the people of B.C.
BC United says in a social media post that Moore is no longer their candidate for Powell River-Sunshine Coast and that he had fundamental differences with the party in terms of not wanting to compete against the Conservatives in the riding.
The NDP has held the riding since 2005.
“Over the last while, it became apparent to us and through a number of individuals in our constituency, key people, that the BC United flag was not going to carry the day for us on the coast,” said Moore. “From that, discussions were started in terms of talking to the Conservative Party of BC, and it became apparent very quickly that there was a large number of constituents in that riding that were in favour of the Conservative Party.”