The provincial elections that have taken place in this century in British Columbia have provided opportunities to test a dominant centre right-party against a dominant centre-left party. The latest Research Co. poll shows that, in 2024, these two political forces are the Conservative Party of BC and the BC NDP.

We recently asked British Columbians to place themselves on the political spectrum. Practically two-thirds of respondents select centre (33 per cent), centre-right (16 per cent) or centre-left (16 per cent). Significantly fewer residents see themselves as right (10 per cent), extreme right (four per cent), left (10 per cent) or extreme left (two per cent).

Where we see ourselves is very different from where we place existing political parties. One-third of British Columbians (33 per cent) brand the BC NDP as left or extreme left, while almost half (46 per cent) deem the BC Conservatives as right or extreme right.

The BC Green Party is regarded as centre or centre-left by more than a third of British Columbians (37 per cent), but more than three in 10 (31 per cent) position it as left or extreme left. BC United is centre or centre-right for 32 per cent of British Columbians, with 21 per cent branding it as right or extreme........

© BIV