The B.C. Conservatives have seen a wave of defections this month as internal strife over Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s leadership boils over.
Six MLAs have quit to sit as Independents, including five in the last week.
There are now 11 Independents sitting in the British Columbia’s legislature, all former B.C. Conservatives who have either left or been booted from the caucus since the October 2024 provincial election.
One former Conservative also crossed the floor to the NDP and another gave up her seat entirely.
Timeline
Oct. 19, 2024: The B.C. Conservatives go from having no seats in the legislature to winning 44 seats and becoming the Official Opposition in the 2024 provincial election.
March 7, 2025: Dallas Brodie (Vancouver-Quilchena) is ejected from the caucus by leader John Rustad for mocking the testimonies of residential school survivors on a podcast.
MLAs Jordan Kealy (Peace River North) and Tara Armstrong (Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream) also depart in solidarity with Brodie.
Armstrong would join forces with Brodie to form OneBC in June 2025, before splitting from that party months later.
Kealy remains as an Independent. He would be charged in July 2026 with sexual assault over alleged offences dating to 2024.
Sept. 23, 2025: Elenore Sturko (Surrey-Cloverdale) is suddenly removed from the Conservative caucus by Rustad following his successful leadership review. She says Rustad accused her of campaigning against his leadership, which she denied.
Oct. 20, 2025: Amelia Boultbee (Penticton-Summerland) resigns from the Conservative caucus and calls on Rustad to step down as party leader. Boultbee would cross the floor to the NDP in July 2026.
Dec. 3, 2025: The party’s board announces Rustad had been removed as leader, after more than half of the Conservative caucus said they no longer had confidence in him. Trevor Halford (Surrey-White Rock) is appointed interim leader. Rustad initially denies the move and said he wouldn’t be stepping down.
Dec. 4, 2025: Rustad resigns, saying holding onto the leadership would have created a “civil war” within the party. He remains in his role as MLA for Nechako Lakes.
March 26, 2026: Hon Chan (Richmond Centre) is removed from the Conservative caucus by interim leader Trevor Halford after being charged with offences related to intimate partner violence.
May 30, 2026: Kerry-Lyne Findlay wins B.C. Conservative leadership with 51 per cent of the vote, narrowly ahead of Caroline Elliott’s 49 per cent. Findlay does not have a seat in the legislature but says she intends to seek one in a byelection.
Aug. 14, 2026: Peter Milobar (Kamloops Centre) quits the caucus to sit as an Independent, citing a lack of alignment with leader Findlay.
Aug. 22, 2026: Reann Gasper (Abbotsford-Mission) resigns her seat to allow Findlay to run in a byelection. Findlay says Gasper would remain with the party as her deputy chief of staff, raising legal and ethical questions about whether MLAs were offered any kind of inducement to give up their seats so Findlay could seek a seat in the legislature.
Aug. 24, 2026: Ian Paton (Delta South) leaves the caucus and announces plans to form a new centre-right political party with Milobar.
Aug. 25, 2026: Rosalyn Bird (Prince George-Valemount) resigns from the Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent, calling for an end to political infighting and divisiveness.
Aug. 26, 2026: Teresa Wat (Richmond-Bridgeport) announces she will sit as an Independent, saying Findlay had not apologized for comments made in a leaked group chat suggesting Wat was affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
Aug. 26, 2026: Brennan Day (Courtenay-Comox) quits the Conservatives to sit as an Independent, citing a loss of confidence in Findlay and her chosen leadership team.
Aug. 27, 2026: Bruce Banman (Abbotsford South) says he’s leaving the caucus, calling Findlay “unelectable” and urging other MLAs to join him among the growing number of Independents.
-With files from Brendan Pawliw
