There’s an old saying about politics that rookie BC Conservatives might want to brush up on: “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.”

Five Conservative MLAs found that out the hard way Tuesday, as they tried to dig themselves out of a public opinion crater after voting against an NDP motion to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

They apparently all had reasons, mainly centred around opposing Canadian counter-tariffs. But only one of the five spoke publicly before voting — and that MLA, Peace River North’s Jordan Kealy, flipped his vote at the last second anyway.

The result was an information vacuum for a full evening and into the following morning, as constituents struggled to understand reports that five MLAs voted in favour of Trump at the legislature, while New Democrats blanketed social media with accusations that Conservatives were traitors to Team Canada.

Eventually, Conservative MLAs went online to make belated declarations of support for Canada and denounce Trump. Yet they mostly sounded like excuses, as late explanations tend to do once you’ve already lost control of the........

© BIV