One Foot Off Center: B.C.'s Conservative leadership review

Party reviewing Rustad

Castanet presents One Foot Off Center, a podcast tackling the big issues facing the Okanagan.

Rick Maddison, Ron Mattiussi, Scott Lanigan and Jeff Cox will meet every month to discuss how those issues impact everyday Canadians.

Maddison is a well-known entrepreneur in Kelowna and owner of Tempest Media. Mattiussi is the former chief administrator of the City of Kelowna and has worked in local government across the province.

Lanigan is the lead pastor of Trinity Church, one of Kelowna’s largest churches, who has served with various community groups like Journey Home.

Cox is the founder and CEO of Kelowna-based Simply Benefits.

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On this week's episode, the panel discusses the BC Conservative leadership review.

Maddison says the leadership review appears to be taking a very long time.

"I think what we saw was an election that was supposed to go one way. It went another way, and now we're looking at a review. We've had a couple of ridings turn... now we're left with the question, how is John Rustad, how are the BC Conservatives doing in this province?"

Cox says, "I would give John Rustad eight out of 10. He took a party from nothing to something and almost won an election."

"But if we are going to turn this province, which I'm telling you, if it does not happen soon, it is not going to end well, John's got to step aside, and they've got to put somebody that's more mainstream in there, and they've got to get ahead of it and vet candidates and start building a real party," Cox continued.

Mattiussi agreed with Cox's assessment.

"I agree with the idea that they can't win the way they are within this province," he said.

"It's got to be built from the centre, somebody that can speak to the centre with those principles, that could attract both centrist liberals and progressive conservatives and conservatives. It's a big tent, and it has to be bigger to win in this province."

Lanigan says B.C.'s political parties have to do a better job of explaining themselves to voters.

"I think that is actually the Achilles heel of our provincial political groups, and I think they need to spend some time clarifying who they are and what they're about and being crystal clear, especially for the younger generation."

But the panel agrees, it is a difficult challenge to unite diverse political views under one tent.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.