{"id":72035,"date":"2026-10-15T04:06:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/?p=72035"},"modified":"2026-10-15T04:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:06:48","slug":"unexpected-leader-lorne-doerkson-pitches-himself-to-british-columbians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/?p=72035","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected leader: Lorne Doerkson pitches himself to British Columbians"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-72036\" src=\"http:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/default-3.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Looking out on Williams Lake from his two-storey rancher, his Corgi-cross Jacksy fighting for his attention, Lorne Doerkson is the first person to admit he did not set out to become the leader of the B.C. Conservative Party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Of course, it was a little bit of a short notice,&#8221; Doerkson says, in his signature understated tone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson was on a flight home from South Africa when he learned his caucus colleagues tapped him as the safest choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">It came hours after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned as leader, following four months of scandals that led to the departure or expulsion of more than a dozen MLAs..<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"similarLinksContainer-JxEul\" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"list\">\n<li class=\"similarLinkItem-TyY7E\" role=\"listitem\">\n<div class=\"card-SmBL5\">\n<p class=\"title-cSJax noPaddingCardTitle\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">How to watch the B.C. provincial election leaders&#8217; debate on Oct. 14<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"similarLinkItem-TyY7E\" role=\"listitem\">\n<div class=\"card-SmBL5\">\n<p class=\"title-cSJax noPaddingCardTitle\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Lorne Doerkson named B.C. Conservatives interim leader following Findlay resignation<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"adContainer-F11hw in-read-double-NumGh storyAd\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"ad-in-read-double ad-detail \" data-cy=\"in-read-double\" data-testid=\"ads-in-read-double\">\n<div id=\"in-read-double-751876\" class=\"advertisement in-read-double\" data-google-query-id=\"CKCO-Mz5uZcDFbDGygAdq509QQ\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5876\/news\/canada\/britishcolumbia\/story\/read_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Those MLAs have since returned to the party fold and are running as candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">While people across the political spectrum describe Doerkson, 58, as a nice guy, he&#8217;s an unelected and largely unknown leader finding his feet amid a snap election.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Andrew Reeve, a former B.C. Liberal communications director who worked alongside Doerkson in that caucus, said that could be a source of strength.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ctaEmbedContainer-Kf20D cta-embed-container\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><em class=\"embedCta-YbFNU\"><strong>WATCH | Lorne Doerkson pitches himself to British Columbians:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-ui-container player-3cbc96b8-d4f7-4537-9d0a-ee36b8516b54 \" data-cy=\"player-placeholder-ui-container\">\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-video-ui\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Unexpected leader: Lorne Doerkson pitches himself to British Columbians\" role=\"button\">\n<div class=\"player-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-ui\">\n<div class=\"video-item video-card-overlay\" title=\"Unexpected leader: Lorne Doerkson pitches himself to British Columbians\">\n<div class=\"thumbnail-wrapper\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/3e7e2961-35f9-4457-a1c0-790b79042084,1791945152757\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3840%2C2160%29%3BResize%3D620\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"video-card-overlay-container\">\n<div class=\"video-info-container\">\n<p class=\"video-item-title\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Unexpected leader: Lorne Doerkson pitches himself to British Columbians<\/span><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;There&#8217;s that old adage of perhaps we should give power to those who don&#8217;t seek it, and I think that really fits the type of guy that Lorne is,&#8221; Reeve said.\u00a0&#8220;The person that&#8217;ll lend you their truck or they&#8217;ll give you a ride home from the airport.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Several recent opinion polls suggest the B.C. Conservatives are ahead of David Eby&#8217;s NDP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;I think that we&#8217;ve got definitely wind in our sails right now,&#8221; Doerkson said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson was first elected as a B.C. Liberal in the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">His predecessor in the riding, Donna Barnett, says she knew Doerkson would be a strong MLA based on his commitment to his community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">He&#8217;s often found at fundraisers flipping burgers on a customized trailer called the Funchaser.<\/span><\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"imageFull-tVo_A html-image\">\n<figure class=\"imageMedia-IspZw imageMedia image full\">\n<div class=\"placeholder-cWBmZ placeholder\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/8ad2325f-c2b1-4b93-8756-1f64ea8634b4,1791932809900\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1920%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D796\" media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/8ad2325f-c2b1-4b93-8756-1f64ea8634b4,1791932809900\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1920%2C1080%29%3B\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/8ad2325f-c2b1-4b93-8756-1f64ea8634b4,1791932809900\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1920%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/8ad2325f-c2b1-4b93-8756-1f64ea8634b4,1791932809900\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1920%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/8ad2325f-c2b1-4b93-8756-1f64ea8634b4,1791932809900\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1920%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w\" alt=\"A man stands next to a barbecue trailer.\" data-cy=\"image-img\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"imageCaption-oOSXz\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Lorne Doerkson outside his home with the barbecue trailer he takes to fundraisers. (CBC News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">There hasn&#8217;t been a premier from B.C.&#8217;s Interior since Bill Bennett, who left office in 1986.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Barnett is confident Doerkson is set to break that dry spell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"adContainer-F11hw in-read-SPN_4 storyAd\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"ad-in-read ad-detail \" data-cy=\"in-read\" data-testid=\"ads-in-read\">\n<div id=\"in-read-570407\" class=\"advertisement in-read\" data-google-query-id=\"CKGO-Mz5uZcDFbDGygAdq509QQ\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5876\/news\/canada\/britishcolumbia\/story\/read2_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;You betcha. There&#8217;s no doubt. The qualities he has, he cares about people of all walks of life.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson has lived in Williams Lake with his wife Shelley for 25 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">He has two adult daughters, Miranda and Shelby, and a six-year-old granddaughter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Born in New Westminster, Doerkson grew up in Salmon Arm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"similarLinksContainer-JxEul\" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"list\">\n<li class=\"similarLinkItem-TyY7E\" role=\"listitem\">\n<div class=\"card-SmBL5\">\n<p class=\"title-cSJax noPaddingCardTitle\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">How B.C.&#8217;s major parties say they&#8217;ll improve ferry service<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">He had a short-lived fling as a rodeo rider in his early 20s, then moved on to a career in publishing for community newspapers, including the Williams Lake Tribune.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">While the B.C. Conservatives insist they are united behind Doerkson, some of Findlay&#8217;s supporters have accused the party of overturning the leadership election results and installing a former B.C. Liberal into the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson will likely face the same challenges as his predecessors, bringing together social conservatives and more centrist, fiscal conservatives in his caucus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;I&#8217;m a little bashful when it comes to my guitar playing and rodeo career, but I think that&#8217;s where I do bring some strength. I&#8217;m a broad-thinking person &#8230; who is absolutely convinced that we can do better in this province. And I believe those conversations have been pretty robust in our caucus.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"similarLinksContainer-JxEul\" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"list\">\n<li class=\"similarLinkItem-TyY7E\" role=\"listitem\">\n<div class=\"card-SmBL5\">\n<div class=\"badge-XSqdS Generic-phkzt badge-QZhqR badgeGenericOverrides-jVN28\" data-badge-type=\"Generic\">\n<div class=\"badgeText-JQgA7\" data-cy=\"badgetext\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Q&amp;A<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"title-cSJax noPaddingCardTitle\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Lorne Doerkson talks values as he leads B.C. Conservatives into election<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">In the last three weeks on the campaign trail, Doerkson says a B.C. Conservative government would not raise taxes or introduce new ones, and pledged to slash every British Columbian&#8217;s income taxes by $1,000 a year. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">However, he&#8217;s offered few details on how much such promises would cost taxpayers, leading to accusations from the NDP that the only way to achieve that is through deep cuts to health care and education.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"adContainer-F11hw in-read-SPN_4 storyAd\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"ad-in-read ad-detail \" data-cy=\"in-read\" data-testid=\"ads-in-read\">\n<div id=\"in-read-551208\" class=\"advertisement in-read\" data-google-query-id=\"CKKO-Mz5uZcDFbDGygAdq509QQ\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/5876\/news\/canada\/britishcolumbia\/story\/read3_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;A snap election basically forced him into the situation and he&#8217;s figuring [it] out as it goes,&#8221; said Reeve, now a senior public affairs consultant with Earnscliffe.<\/span><\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"imageFull-tVo_A html-image\">\n<figure class=\"imageMedia-IspZw imageMedia image full\">\n<div class=\"placeholder-cWBmZ placeholder\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/ef65de96-fc6a-4735-9d02-3e5c91d928ff,1791934082707\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5426%2C3617%29%3BResize%3D796\" media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/ef65de96-fc6a-4735-9d02-3e5c91d928ff,1791934082707\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5426%2C3617%29%3B\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/ef65de96-fc6a-4735-9d02-3e5c91d928ff,1791934082707\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5426%2C3617%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/ef65de96-fc6a-4735-9d02-3e5c91d928ff,1791934082707\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5426%2C3617%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/ef65de96-fc6a-4735-9d02-3e5c91d928ff,1791934082707\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5426%2C3617%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w\" alt=\"A man in glasses speaks at a podium.\" data-cy=\"image-img\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"imageCaption-oOSXz\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson speaks during a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event on Oct. 13, 2026. (Nav Rahi\/CBC)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson promised to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and co-operate with First Nations across the province to unlock B.C.&#8217;s natural resources, which he says have been choked by NDP government red tape.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson has already had his leadership tested during this campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Within hours, he dropped the party&#8217;s candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill, Joachim Agou, after offensive social media posts surfaced.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ctaEmbedContainer-Kf20D cta-embed-container\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><em class=\"embedCta-YbFNU\"><strong>WATCH | B.C. Conservative Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate dropped after offensive posts:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-ui-container player-d68fe3d5-eee0-4827-84ce-d359db382421 \" data-cy=\"player-placeholder-ui-container\">\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-video-ui\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"B.C. Conservative Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate dropped after offensive posts\" role=\"button\">\n<div class=\"player-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"player-placeholder-ui\">\n<div class=\"video-item video-card-overlay\" title=\"B.C. Conservative Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate dropped after offensive posts\">\n<div class=\"thumbnail-wrapper\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/ais\/92387f0c-350c-48b0-bc78-a1b1a68521ba,1791514890456\/full\/max\/0\/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C3840%2C2160%29%3BResize%3D620\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"video-card-overlay-container\">\n<div class=\"video-info-container\">\n<p class=\"video-item-title\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">B.C. Conservative Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate dropped after offensive posts<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-time-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson now faces calls from a coalition of Muslim associations to fire the party&#8217;s campaign manager, Katy Merrifield.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Merrifield posted &#8220;f&#8211;k Islam,&#8221; in response to a story about an inquiry into gang rapes in the United Kingdom. Merrifield says her post stemmed from her experience as a rape survivor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Musa Ismail, director of the Unified Muslim Associations of B.C., says no B.C. Conservative candidate will be allowed into mosques until Doerkson removes Merrifield from the position. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Elenore Sturko, who once served alongside Doerkson in the B.C. Conservative caucus but is now leader of CentreBC, says he must show leadership by firing Merrifield.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Can you really be an appropriate leader for the province when you&#8217;re not able to stand up for all British Columbians?&#8221; Sturko said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">CBC News has not been able to put a question directly to Doerkson in response to the call from the Unified Muslim Associations of B.C.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-b3GxD html-paragraph\" dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: arial black, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Doerkson will put forward his vision for B.C. when he faces Eby and B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan during the televised leaders debate on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking out on Williams Lake from his two-storey rancher, his Corgi-cross Jacksy fighting for his attention, Lorne Doerkson is the first person to admit he did not set out to become the leader of the B.C. Conservative Party.\u00a0 &#8220;Of course, it was a little bit of a short notice,&#8221; Doerkson says, in his signature understated &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":72036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-198"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72035"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72081,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72035\/revisions\/72081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/72036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upndownbeirut.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}