▁ben ches ▁as ▁Liberal ▁leader ▁David ▁Pet erson ▁became ▁Premier . ▁ ▁The ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv atives ▁were ▁reduced ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 6 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁provincial ▁election . ▁C ous ens ▁defeated ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁G ail ▁New all ▁by ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁votes ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁r iding ▁of ▁Mark ham . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁provincial ▁elections , ▁C ous ens ▁scored ▁a ▁victory ▁over ▁Liberal ▁Frank ▁Sc arp itt i , ▁winning ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁ ▁The ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv atives ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁managed ▁only ▁a ▁mod est ▁recovery , ▁however , ▁increased ▁their ▁c au cus ▁size ▁from ▁six teen ▁to ▁twenty . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁his ▁party ' s ▁critic ▁for ▁Environment , ▁Fin ance , ▁and ▁Cit iz ens hip , ▁Race ▁Rel ations ▁and ▁Human ▁Rights ▁at ▁various ▁times ▁in ▁next ▁parliament . ▁Inter view ed ▁by ▁the ▁C BC ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁he ▁spoke ▁against ▁voting ▁rights ▁for ▁people ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁mental ▁health ▁facilities . ▁He ▁critic ized ▁Liberal ▁Member ▁of ▁Provin cial ▁Parliament ▁( MP P ) ▁John ▁S ola ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁after ▁S ola ▁made ▁comments ▁about ▁Canadian ▁Ser bs ▁that ▁were ▁generally ▁regarded ▁as ▁rac ist . ▁S ola ▁was ▁later ▁exp elled ▁from ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party . ▁ ▁C ous ens ▁once ▁brought ▁forward ▁a ▁private