BC Conservative leader says she has removed 3 party members from caucus
Posted September 18, 2026 5:41 pm
2 min read
BC Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay says she has removed three party members from caucus.
“Effective immediately, Trevor Halford, Claire Rattée, and John Rustad will no longer serve as members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia Caucus,” Findlay said in a statement.
“With an election potentially on the horizon, our focus must be on British Columbians and defeating David Eby’s NDP government.
“The BC Conservative Party is the only free-enterprise team equipped with a fully funded campaign to take on the NDP, and we need everyone focused on building our movement and preparing to win.”
However, in a statement posted on X earlier Friday, Rattée said she is not going anywhere.
“With reports that a snap election is imminent, the BC Conservative Party must present a credible alternative and look like a government in waiting to make life better for the struggling people in our province,” she said.
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“Since Ms. Findlay has become leader, nine MLAs have departed from our caucus citing serious concerns with her leadership. There have been allegations of offering paid positions to MLAs in return for them resigning their seats, senior staff becoming embroiled in scandals, and refusals to communicate with caucus members to fix these issues.”
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Nine MLAs have left the BC Conservative Party since August.
BC Conservative leader says she’s ‘not going anywhere’
On Thursday, allegations surfaced of a former director of the BC Conservative Party hiring a private investigator to look into 14 people, including party members and a Victoria-based journalist.
Rattée said she was one of the caucus members who was “targeted.”
“Worse, Ms. Findlay is now trying to further shrink our team by attempting to oust members of her own caucus, after nine MLAs left,” she added in her statement.
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“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.”
Rustad and Halford have not spoken publicly about the announcement.
Findlay has not spoken on Friday, only issuing the statement, saying, “There’s no room for internal power struggles or vanity projects. If your priority is building the movement, and supporting the Conservative Party of B.C., you are welcome.
“Our priority is British Columbians.”
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