Premier David Eby said new B.C. Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay seems to be focused on division.
Eby congratulated Findlay on her leadership victory over the weekend, in which she secured 51 per cent of the vote.
But he took the opportunity to take some jabs at her platform that has leaned on the more right-wing and socially conservative factions within the party.
“From my perspective, the job that she’s applying for looks a lot more like MAGA regional manager than premier of British Columbia,” Eby told reporters at an unrelated event in Burnaby on Tuesday.
“Looks like she’s focused on dividing people, including her own caucus,” he said.
Findlay’s platform included promises to remove resources on sexual orientation and gender identity from schools, compensate workers fired due to COVID-era policies, and repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
Findlay said she would overhaul B.C.’s Human Rights Code to protect free speech and end what she called an “era of ideological censorship.”
She also called for repealing ICBC’s no-fault insurance system and a 12-month suspension of provincial taxes on gas.
On the economic front, Findlay pitched herself as a champion of pipelines and pledged to work co-operatively with other Western provinces to boost energy exports.
Findlay held her first caucus meeting on Sunday, a day after her leadership win.
“The message from our team was clear: we are united, focused, and ready to work together to defeat the NDP and deliver real change for British Columbians,” said Findlay.
Fellow leadership candidate and MLA Peter Milobar threw his support behind Findlay, despite some clashes during the campaign. Those included Findlay suggesting Milobar has a conflict of interest on DRIPA because his wife is Indigenous. The B.C. NDP slammed the comments as racist.
Despite that, Milobar said he’s looking forward to working with her going forward.
Findlay takes over a party that has seen six members either kicked out or having left to sit as Independents.
Some have indicated their support for her leadership, including Jordan Kealy, who indicated following the win that he is open to rejoining the B.C. Conservatives.
Tara Armstrong also celebrated Findlay’s victory but gave no hint on whether she’s seeking a return to the party.
Dallas Brodie, who was booted from caucus and now leads OneBC, also congratulated Findlay.
“OneBC will continue to move forward and grow while we observe the changing landscape of British Columbia politics,” Brodie said in a post on X on Saturday.
Meanwhile, former B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko, who now sits as an Independent, said in a social media post that the leadership results “have left a void in the political landscape for those who are looking for an alternative to NDP incompetence.”
“I feel strongly that British Columbia is best served when it is represented by a government that values broad perspectives and stays away from polarizing extremes,” said Sturko.
Amelia Boultbee, who left the caucus to sit as an Independent last year amid her sharp criticism of then-leader John Rustad, said she’s not looking to return anytime soon.
“Should there be a time where this party and its leadership maintain focus on the core issues for taxpayers, like healthcare, crime, affordability, to the exclusion of niche controversial issues like children and social transition, I’d be happy to take a look at whether unification would be possible under those circumstances,” she said in a statement.
