British Columbia Libertarian Party

The British Columbia Libertarian Party is a libertarian political party in British Columbia, Canada that nominated its first candidates in the 1986 provincial election. There has never been a Libertarian elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The party had its best performance under the leadership of Clayton Welwood where in the 2017 British Columbia general election, the party fielded 30 candidates and received 7,211 votes, or 0.4% of the popular vote. Jon Rempel had the best performance of any BC Libertarian candidate, in his electoral district of Nechako Lakes, he received 438 votes, or 4.7% of the popular vote.

British Columbia Libertarian Party
Active provincial party
LeaderDonald Wilson
PresidentPaul Matthews
FoundedFebruary 1, 1986 (February 1, 1986)
HeadquartersCoquitlam, British Columbia
IdeologyLibertarianism
Classical liberalism
ColoursGold and Black
Website
www.libertarian.bc.ca

2017 was a year of change and renewal for the party, where at their annual general meeting in North Vancouver, the membership elected Don Wilson as the new leader, Bill Morrison as deputy leader, and an expanded executive council for the first time under a new constitution and set of governing bylaws. Under the new bylaws, the party also established two new governing bodies, the Ethics Committee and Regional Caucus.

Stated Purpose

"The BC Libertarian Party exists to support the election of Party Members to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who aim to advance and bring forth the Principles of the British Columbia Libertarian Party within the province."

Party Principles

The BC Libertarian Party exists to advocate for and defend the Principles of the Party which are:[1]

  1. To support and to advocate for the concept that the citizens of British Columbia are to have the liberty to live as they wish provided that in doing so they do not diminish the ability of others to peacefully do the same.
  2. To support and promote the precept that the government of British Columbia is to serve the citizens of the province in fostering an environment where the personal potential for all British Columbians can be maximised through individual efforts.
  3. To support that concept that the maximisation of the personal potential of the British Columbia citizen is best obtained through non-government activities, such as personal endeavour, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and industriousness. These actions are to be free of undue interference or coercion from any person or group.
  4. To support and advocate that liberty and prosperity can only be achieved if private property can be obtained and maintained in British Columbia without undue interference or coercion.
  5. To advance the idea that to be free is to live in a society where one can openly express ideas, hear the ideas of others, and associate with groups of one's choosing, without fear, prosecution, or undue interference within British Columbia.
  6. To support and promote the precept that fiscal prosperity in British Columbia is best achieved through the buying and selling of goods and services peacefully in an open market.
  7. To support and promote the idea that the citizens of British Columbia have the right to liberty and to defend and be defended from those persons or institutions that seek to diminish any of the above principles

Party Platform
  • Growing the economy by making life more affordable for all British Columbians.[2]
  • Supporting British Columbia's resource-based economy.[3]
  • Ending the ICBC monopoly on basic auto insurance.[4]
  • Allowing for more parental and student choice in education.[5]
  • Decentralising decision making powers to local communities, families, and individuals.[6]
  • Abolishing provincial government monopoly on liquor and cannabis distribution.[7]
  • Adapting to a changing climate and promoting environmental policies that will have the greatest impact.[8]
  • Sweeping tax policy reform, including tripling the basic income tax exemption to $35,000 and abolishing the carbon, fuel, cigarette, liquor, and marijuana taxes.[9]
  • Reducing transportation costs through the elimination of various taxes and regulatory bodies, and opening up the market to new innovations like car sharing, bike sharing, ride sharing, and other transportation solutions.[10]
  • Removing legal barriers to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

See also

References
  1. "Party Principles". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  2. "Growing The Economy By Making Life More Affordable". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  3. "A Resource Economy that Works for BC". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  4. "End ICBC". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  5. "More Choice in Education". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  6. "Shrinking and Decentralizing Government". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  7. "Abolishing The Liquor and Cannabis Cartel". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  8. "Adapting to a Changing Climate". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  9. "Lowering Taxes for Every British Columbian". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  10. "Reducing Transportation Costs". BC Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
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