BC Conservatives Are Not Far-Right, Findlay Says as Party Friction Continues

Kerry-Lynne Findlay tried to present a united, more moderate version of the Conservative Party of BC at the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention this week.

In a speech given Thursday to the province’s mayors and councillors, Findlay criticized the provincial deficit and talked about the need to lower taxes, boost the economy and get tough on crime. She promised that a B.C. Conservative government would respect municipal leaders’ autonomy and provide stable and predictable funding.

She avoided talking about her desire to end the Indigenous rights legislation known as DRIPA, which had been a central feature of her leadership campaign. Nor did she mention socially conservative topics like her opposition to B.C.’s sexual orientation and gender identity, or SOGI, policy in schools.

Instead, Findlay gave a standard UBCM speech. But it came at the tail end of a week that showed the party under Findlay’s leadership continues to be in turmoil.

The speech followed news stories about an emergency caucus meeting, MLAs demanding her resignation and emerging reports that the party may have had hired a private investigator to investigate former and possibly current members. B.C. Conservative MLA Claire Rattée had called Findlay out for failing to attend caucus meetings, writing in a Substack post that Findlay had left MLAs in the dark about “her policy plan for the fall legislative session or snap election.”

During a post-speech scrum, Findlay said she couldn’t tell reporters which MLAs had asked her to step down. “That’s up to them to tell you,” she said.

Findlay, who was elected leader of the party in May but does not yet have a seat, is running in a by-election in the riding of Abbotsford Mission that will be decided on Sept. 26. BC NDP Premier David Eby has been hinting this week that a snap election might be in the cards this fall. An election could allow his party to take advantage of favourable polling numbers and chaos in the opposition ranks.

In addition to her relatively sober UBCM speech, Findlay posted a video on X this week in which she attempted to reassure voters that the party’s platform hasn’t changed since the 2024 provincial election, when the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats and became the Official Opposition. (Today, the party has just 28 seats, with nine MLAs leaving after Findlay’s leadership win.)

“Frankly, I’m confused when people say that we have moved the party to the right or even the far-right,” she said in the Sept. 16 video.

At the scrum that followed her UBCM speech, the party arranged for a row of still-loyal B.C. Conservative MLAs to stand behind Findlay.

Asked about the reports that the party had hired a private investigator to investigate MLAs, Findlay said she knew nothing about the allegation. On Thursday afternoon, CHEK News reported that its political correspondent, Rob Shaw, had been told he was one of 14 people on the investigator’s list of subjects. CHEK reported the other investigative targets included several MLAS and former B. C. Conservative staffers, along with Lululemon billionaire and political financier Chip Wilson.

Asked whether the B.C. Conservatives were prepared for a possible provincial election, Findlay responded that the party is “always ready” for a campaign. She then speculated that Eby might be planning to “nullify” the upcoming Abbotsford-Mission vote by calling a provincial election.

“He could have called a general election, but instead he called a by-election, maybe just to keep me busy,” Findlay said. “And then when he saw that I was going to win it, maybe he's going to nullify it so that I don't have that win.”

Findlay said she would welcome the return of various MLAs who have left the party during former leader John Rustad’s tenure as well as her own.

“We are open, as I said in my speech, to anyone who is on board with our vision for economic prosperity, a return to fiscal sanity, and a caring, compassionate government,” Findlay said.

“We have to do more for those who are struggling with addictions and mental illness on our streets. There is just so many things we need to tackle that this government has neglected. Our resource industries, among them. So, if these people are interested in that vision, we're open to talking to anyone about joining us.”

Asked whether she thinks she bears any responsibility for the departure of nine MLAs since she won leadership, Findlay said she did.

“I don't think it's my leadership style per se, but of course I take responsibility. I am the leader. Whatever happens as the leader, you take responsibility for,” Findlay said.

“There have been adjustments. There have been changes. And what is really more important is: Do we have a working fighting team that's cohesive? And here we are. I'm proud of them all, and we are moving forward together.”

As reporters started to lob questions without being called on, Findlay’s communication staffer announced the press conference was over — just nine minutes into the previously announced 20-minute session.