All bets are off regarding the next BC provincial election. For months the NDP has had a commanding double-digit lead over the Liberals in the opinion polls.

The erosion of support for the governing party can be attributed to voter fatigue as much as it can to anger over the carbon tax and HST.

Still, 2013 is a long way away and much can change. Could British Columbians really have such short memories of the devastation the NDP caused the last time they were in power? Would Gordon Campbell stepping down and being replaced as leader be enough to secure a fourth term?

But that all changed this week with the announcement that former Abbotsford-Langley MP Randy White has joined the B.C. Conservative Party.

Make no mistake about it - the Conservatives are going to be major players in the next election.

Most people probably weren't even aware there was a provincial Conservative Party, but with White's announcement, things are going to be very different on the political landscape. White was a popular and effective parliamentarian who served his Fraser Valley constituents honourably for many years. At times controversial, he was a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and did more to champion victims' rights than any other Canadian. His tenure as a sitting MP, house leader and high-profile critic in the House of Commons gives the B.C. Conservatives instant credibility and recognition.

For now he will chair the party's advisory group. But his signing on is going to result in many others taking out memberships. A quick glance next door shows how quickly things can change. A tired and stale governing party that ruled Alberta for decades took voter support for granted and the upstart Wildrose Alliance now looks like it has a very serious chance of actually winning the next election.

Could the same thing happen in B.C.? A year ago it would have been absurd to even contemplate the thought. The B.C. Liberals absolutely crushed the despised and incompetent NDP in 2001, leaving them with a measly two seats. The first thing they did was slash personal income tax by 25 per cent. They made education an essential service, denying teachers the right to strike.

Numerous other popular announcements were made and, most importantly, they fixed the province's finances after two terms of NDP bungling.

But all that seems to be irrelevant as one poll after another shows them lagging far behind.

So what's a voter to do who is done with the Liberals but could never be so reckless and masochistic as to return the NDP to power? Until a few days ago there weren't too many options other than to wring one's hands in angst.

But with White coming on board the B.C. Conservatives are now legitimate players. He routinely doubled the combined votes of all other candidates in Abbotsford-Langley and understands grassroots populism as well as anyone in the business.

It's game on in Lotusland.

n John Martin is a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley. He can be contacted at John.Martin@ufv.ca