It’s — almost — official.
As of next Wednesday, B.C.’s Official Opposition will unveil its new name and new look.
The BC Liberal Party formally approved a name change to BC United last November, with 80 per cent of members voting in favour of the rebrand.
Party leader Kevin Falcon told reporters Thursday that the time since then has been spent on internal procedural matters and work with Elections BC to formalize the change.
“Then we had to work to create the branding, and the logo, etc., for the name — that’s what we will be announcing next week,” he said during his weekly availability at the B.C. legislature.
“I think you’ll love it; I think it’s going to be new and exciting and fresh. We made the decision to move forward once the work was completed to get underway.”
The change follows a pair of election losses to the BC NDP following a 16-year term in power. Although the provincial Liberals actually won the 2017 election, they did not secure a majority. They lost a confidence vote in the legislative assembly, then-premier Christy Clark resigned and the NDP was invited to form a minority government.
There has been a perennial debate over whether the name is confusing to some voters who may associate the BC Liberals with the federal Liberal Party of Canada.
The BC Liberals have traditionally been a coalition of “free enterprise” supporting voters, and while some party members also back the federal Liberals, many others are supporters of the federal Conservatives. The party has no formal association with the federal Liberal Party.
The timing of the official rebrand also prompted questions about whether the BC Liberals don’t believe the governing NDP will call a snap election before the next fixed election date.
“I think the premier has been so clear about this issue and he has repeated so many times that he is going to hold that election in October 2024 that it would be such an indictment of his character and integrity that I don’t think there is a chance he would do that,” Falcon said.
“Having said that, I will always make sure we are ready for an early election should there be one.”
The formal launch of the new BC United name and branding is scheduled for Wednesday, April 12 at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel in Surrey.
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