Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman said Thursday he is leaving the B.C. Conservatives to sit as an Independent, joining five other MLAs who have left the caucus in recent weeks.
Banman said in a statement he had high hopes for the party’s future after Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s leadership victory May 30.
“However, after numerous conversations with many of my constituents, it has become clear under the new leadership and direction of the Conservative Party of B.C., an NDP win is becoming increasingly likely,” said Banman.
“Person after person has informed me they have decided that our new leader is unelectable,” he said.
He encouraged other MLAs to join him among the growing ranks of Independent MLAs in the legislature.
The former Abbotsford mayor was elected to the legislature in 2020 with the B.C. Liberals, who later rebranded as B.C. United. He crossed the floor to the Conservatives in September 2023.
Banman is the fifth to leave Findlay’s Conservatives just this week. It comes a day after Brennan Day and Teresa Wat announced they were breaking from the caucus. Ian Paton and Rosalyn Bird also announced their departures earlier in the week.
Peter Milobar announced Aug. 14 that he was leaving the Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent, the first MLA to do so after Findlay became leader.
Milobar and Paton have said they intend to start a new political party aimed at centre-right voters but gave no indication of what it would be called or when it would launch.
There are now 11 Independents in the B.C. legislature, all former Conservative caucus members who have either left voluntarily or been removed since the October 2024 provincial election.
None have publicly said they intend to join Milobar and Paton’s planned party.
Reann Gasper, the Conservative MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, also announced on Aug. 22 she had decided to give up her seat in the legislature, but that was so that Findlay could run in a byelection.
Findlay said Gasper would remain with the party in a leadership role as her deputy chief of staff. The move has raised ethical and legal questions about whether MLAs were offered any kind of inducement to give up their seats so Findlay could seek a seat in the legislature.
Findlay said on Tuesday that “allegations out there of something untoward are totally unfounded.”
Findlay did not immediately respond to Banman’s announcement. She issued a statement on Wednesday about the wave of departures, saying the party remains focused on getting results for British Columbians.
“We intend to open nominations promptly in ridings where new opportunities exist,” she said.
