Former B.C. premier says she ‘misspoke’ when claiming she was never a Conservative

OTTAWA — Former British Columbia premier Christy Clark, who is considering a run for federal Liberal leader, has backtracked on her claim this week that she’d never been a member of the Conservative party.

Clark told CBC Radio’s The House that she is “very seriously” considering a leadership bid, but expressed disappointment with the short timeline for the race.

She also denied she voted for former Quebec premier Jean Charest in his bid to become Conservative leader in 2022, a race that was won by Pierre Poilievre.

Clark, who has called herself a “lifelong Liberal,” said in the interview that despite publicly supporting Charest’s leadership run she never joined the party and never received a ballot for the race.

The Conservatives have provided a screen grab of their electronic records, showing Clark was an active member of the party from June 2, 2022 until June 30, 2023.

On social media late Friday, Clark posted a facepalm emoji and said she “misspoke,” but says she’s not backing away from her claim the she supported Charest to stop Poilievre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2025.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 8e0be86fc811b5d90a63f2fdb0a71be7230e9eba1ef50e3252ffbb23318bbede.jpg, Caption:

Former British Columbia premier Christy Clark, who is considering a run for federal Liberal leader, has backtracked on her claim this week that she’d never been a member of the Conservative party. Clark attends the US-Canada Summit in Toronto on Tuesday June 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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