Party leader says CentreBC is ‘filling the void’ in B.C. politics

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — CentreBC’s new leader is hoping to bring back a ‘tent-style party’ to have good policy, good government, and make decisions more about people again. 

On July 19, CentreBC announced that former MLA for Peace River South and former Dawson Creek mayor Mike Bernier would be the leader of CentreBC. 

In a conversation with Energeticcity.ca, Bernier said, “It’s a very exciting time to be able to be part of CentreBC…and help lead the party as we move forward towards the next election.” 

“It was a real privilege and honour to be down in Victoria, to be named the leader.” 

Bernier said that over the last year, there has been “divisive politics” with the BC Conservative Party under the new leader. 

“The party is in chaos right now, and we have the NDP that is digging a bigger hole in this province financially, and one that’s going to be difficult to get out of,” he said. 

“As a former mayor, I used to get frustrated as well when the government would make top-down decisions without actually talking to the communities and the people affected first.” 

Bernier said he has seen and heard many people across the province feel “politically abandoned.” 

“They don’t have a party they can support or vote for, so that’s where this party came from,” he added. 

Bernier said CentreBC will try to “fill the void,” give people the option, and be different from other parties by bringing back the philosophy of a big “tent-style party.” 

He said, “This is going to be a big tent-style party where we can bring everyone together, have good policy, good government, and make the decisions more about the people again, rather than [the] government in Victoria really governing down on people.” 

Bernier believes this is what a majority of citizens in B.C. are frustrated with. 

CentreBC wants to do politics a little bit “differently” and get more “grassroots” again. 

“Governments are supposed to be working for the people of the province, which means listening to the concerns, getting out around the province and talking to a lot of the citizens to figure out what the challenges are,” Bernier added. 

“Right now, the government is making decisions in Victoria without consultation with the people in the province; they’re just telling us what they think is the right thing for us, rather than listening to what we hope to have accomplished in our different areas.” 

Bernier said the province is diverse, with unique challenges across its different parts. 

He said, “I think Vancouver, Victoria and all the politicians have really lost touch [with] what’s happening in the rest of British Columbia.” 

Stepping back into politics after retirement, Bernier said it was not something he thought he was going to be doing. 

“I was enjoying spending more time at home with my family and getting back into the workforce, which I love doing and keeping busy,” he explained. 

“But this obviously was something that I was passionate about. When I watched the divisiveness and basically the chaos that’s happening right now in the province, I was called upon by a group of people hoping I could get back in and use my experience and try to help lead the party into the next chapter to get ready for the election.”

In preparation for the next provincial election, which will be called by 2028, Bernier has started travelling across the province and meeting with many different groups. 

“Our party is completely established, we’ve got candidates already in place, we’ve got donations and members rolling in every day,” he said. 

“So the machinery of the political party is in place, but now we really need to get out and actually build credibility, so people understand we’re a serious party and one that can be a contender in the next election.” 

CentreBC hopes to change politics in British Columbia and make it “more moderate” without “extreme views,” and bring politics back to communities and people. 

As he travels across British Columbia, Bernier said there is a strong need for a more moderate-style political party in the province. 

He said, “I’ve had huge receptions down there [lower mainland], and I think for up in the Peace Region…my message would be, we need to figure out how to work together to try to get rid of the NDP government, and this is one of the challenges.” 

“The BC Conservative Party is fragmenting under their new leadership; they’re going further right with what a lot of people are saying are polarizing and extreme views.” 

Bernier believes this does not resonate with a majority of the province. 

“We’re seeing a lot of people in the Lower Mainland cancelling their memberships and looking for a different party,” he added. 

“So that’s what we’re doing because we want to make sure we have the option to get rid of the government in the next election.”