Party Upheaval Brings BC to Brink of Election

With speculation about a snap British Columbia election intensifying and another opposition party coalescing, Kerry-Lynne Findlay has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

“From the outset, too much of our time and attention has been consumed by internal conflict,” Findlay said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. “Energy that should have been directed toward challenging the NDP, advancing our principles, and preparing to form government has instead been spent fighting amongst ourselves.”

Findlay said she is quitting for the good of the party and the province. Her resignation followed a tempestuous time for the party that had fuelled speculation Premier David Eby would soon trigger an election to capitalize on the chaos. The potential of an imminent election has had its own impact, leading to the formation of a new partnership that includes several former B.C. Conservatives.

Findlay narrowly won the leadership of the B.C. Conservative party less than four months ago. On Thursday, four days before she resigned, Findlay told reporters and delegates to the Union of BC Municipalities convention: “I’m not going anywhere.” Her speech followed a wave of departures from her caucus and was immediately followed by the news that the B.C. Conservatives had hired an investigator to probe the party’s own MLAs, along with a journalist.

On Friday, eight former B.C. Conservative MLAs joined the fledgling CentreBC party, with Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar named the party’s interim leader.

It remains to be seen how those who have joined CentreBC and the remaining Conservatives will respond to the resignation of Findlay, who has said she will still be a candidate in the Abbotsford-Mission byelection that is underway.

On Friday afternoon, as speculation swirled about a potential snap election call, CentreBC was building momentum to be a serious alternative to the governing NDP.

“I can tell you right now, with what David Eby is doing, it is actually helping us bring everyone together,” former MLA Mike Bernier told reporters Friday outside the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver.

That afternoon, Bernier stepped down as the leader of CentreBC, which had been formed by disgruntled BC United members after the 2024 election. It had aimed to provide voters with a centrist alternative to the NDP and the Conservatives.

He made way for Milobar, who finished fifth in the B.C. Conservative party leadership race that Findlay won last spring. Milobar had resigned from the party last month, saying the party no longer reflects his values. More than a dozen MLAs resigned or were ejected from the Conservatives over the past month. Now, the question is how many will join Milobar and how many might return to the fold.

The chaos among the Conservatives and the quick pace of changes made it difficult to say exactly how many MLAs might be in the CentreBC caucus, Milobar had said Friday.

“We know we are at eight, sure, and we are continuing to grow,” he told reporters. “There’s some others that, for timing reasons, would like to time their announcements at other times, so there will be more coming.”

Milobar and fellow MLA Ian Paton had announced their intention of forming a new party in August, following their resignation from the B.C. Conservatives. Earlier this month, three other MLAs — Rosalyn Bird, Bruce Banman and Áʼa:líya Warbus — announced they would join Milobar and Paton to create a party. Milobar would serve as interim leader.

Elenore Sturko, the Surrey-Cloverdale MLA who has sat as an independent since former leader John Rustad kicked her out of the Conservative caucus a year ago, joined after Friday’s announcement, saying the party had the right priorities.

“When I meet constituents, they’re talking about the economy, they’re talking about affordability, about access to health care and being safe,” she said.

Friday’s merger gave CentreBC, which had no MLAs, a presence in the legislature and several incumbents in the next election. Milobar’s team gained some party infrastructure and a candidate running against Findlay in the Abbotsford-Mission byelection.

The groups would have eventually joined forces and were planning an announcement when the legislature resumed sitting Oct. 5, Milobar told reporters. But Milobar said Eby’s refusal to rule out a snap election had increased the pressure to get it done.

“Unfortunately for British Columbians the premier has decided that he needs to call an unnecessary election, avoid scrutiny in the legislature and do this less than two years into his mandate,” he said. “It is simply ridiculous what is going on.”

Milobar said he was unconcerned about potential vote-splitting among parties opposed to the NDP.

“British Columbians are wanting to see a serious party focused on the issues of management, affordability, housing, crime, healthcare and that’s what we’re going to be focused on,” he said.

“I’m confident that [as] the disintegration of the Conservative party that we’re watching in real time continues to happen, more and more people will get behind what we are building and what we’re rallying them around.”

Under B.C.’s fixed election law, voters weren’t scheduled to go to the polls again until October 2028, but Eby signalled several times last week that an early vote was a real possibility.

Asked publicly by outgoing UBCM president and Prince George councillor Cori Ramsay at the convention Friday to delay calling the provincial election until after the Oct. 17 local government elections, Eby avoided being pinned down.

“I’m aware of the resolution that was passed from the floor, and I understand the anxiety of candidates in the room,” he said. “I understand why local leaders would be concerned about overlapping elections.... We’ll certainly consider the resolution and the advice, just like we consider all resolutions that come forward from local governments.”

A decision hadn’t been made on a provincial election, Eby said. He then gave his argument for why one was needed. “I can say there’s no question we’re in an existential moment for our province and for our country and there’s a clear choice that’s being offered in terms of direction between the various political camps.”

In the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, he said voters face a choice between an NDP government that supports trade and a strong federal approach, or an opposition that would appease the president.

“I don’t think it’s ever wrong to ask British Columbians about which direction we should go. That is the important question that’s before us.”

It is increasingly unclear, though, who will be the NDP’s stiffest opposition in an election.

As Milobar’s bloc grew, the B.C. Conservatives continued to shed MLAs. From the 44 the party won in the last general election, it was down to 25 by Friday afternoon, after Findlay ousted Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, former interim leader and Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford and Skeena MLA Claire Rattée on Friday. On Sunday, a few hours before Findlay’s resignation, Surrey-Serpentine River MLA and former Surrey mayor Linda Hepner quit the B.C. Conservative party.

In a statement posted on X, Rattée had questioned Findlay’s ability to remove MLAs from caucus. “Those team members are elected members of the BC Conservative Caucus. Ms. Findlay is not. She does not have the authority to remove any member of our caucus.” Rattée said that Findlay had demonstrated poor judgement “that doesn’t befit someone who is attempting to become Premier.”

At least 10 B.C. Conservative MLAs had signed a letter asking Findlay to resign, Rattée said. “She needs to grow our voter coalition to win an election, and instead she is driving key members of our team into situations that will undoubtedly split votes and give more seats to the NDP.”

Rattée was one of several people notified that they were on a list of people the B.C. Conservative party had hired a private investigator to investigate. The list included other MLAs, former party officials, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson and a reporter.

On Sunday, Hepner blamed her departure on Findlay’s inability to listen to members, and highlighted the removal of Rustad, Halford and Rattée. Like many of those who have departed, Hepner alluded to the B.C. Conservatives’ increasing focus on right-wing social issues under Findlay, saying the party was not grounded in the everyday concerns of British Columbians.

It had been unclear whether Rustad, Halford and Rattée would join CentreBC. Findlay’s resignation Sunday will prompt more questions about the long-term future of the Conservative party and its scattered current and former caucus members.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen of the party’s current caucus members have reportedly called for Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson to be named the party’s interim leader. Doerkson who was first elected in 2020 as a BC Liberal could be seen as a unifying figure, given that he supported Milobar’s leadership bid.

Following Findlay’s resignation, Rattée released a statement saying she intends to run as a B.C. Conservative in the next election.

“Today’s leadership change gives our MLAs the opportunity to come together, chart a clear path forward and build a unified, credible government-in-waiting capable of defeating David Eby,” she said.

Before Findlay announced her resignation, Rustad has called a press conference for Monday morning.

The BC Green Party released a statement saying that a snap election is unnecessary and expensive.

“It continues the government’s track record of putting their interests above those of every day British Columbians,” it said. “A stable government does not look to a worried populace and choose to destabilize their lives even further with an election call two years early, during a local election cycle.”

With files from Jen St. Denis and Tyler Olsen.