Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigns as BC Conservatives leader

On the heels of the resignation of another BC Conservative MLA, Kerry-Lynne Findlay says she’s resigning as leader of the party.

Findlay made the announcement on X at about 1:30 p.m. local time, saying it was “not an easy decision” but called it the “right one” for the province.

“I will not allow an internal battle over my leadership to become a continuing distraction from the work British Columbians need a strong opposition to do,” Findlay wrote.

Her resignation comes just hours after Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner said she was resigning from caucus.

Hepner told Global News in an interview that it was the removal of John Rustad, Trevor Halford and Claire Rattee from caucus on Friday that prompted her to leave.

“I was just confounded on why making all of those three leave was ever a good strategic decision,” she said. “At that point, I decided enough is enough.”

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Hepner is the 13th MLA to leave the party either voluntarily or after being ousted by the party leadership.

Hepner’s departure reduces the party caucus to 25 and comes as talk ramps up that Premier David Eby may call a snap election as soon as this week.

In own resignation letter, Findlay said she had wanted to travel the province and meet with residents to make the case for what a “strong, united” Conservative movement could do.

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“Instead, from the outset, too much of our time and attention has been consumed by internal conflict,” she said.

5:23 B.C. Conservative caucus shrinks again

Findlay also addressed decisions made in recent months, saying leadership requires accountability.

“I have made decisions I would make differently with the benefit of hindsight,” she said. “I have listened. I have reflected. And I take responsibility for the decisions that were mine to make.”

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Though nothing has been announced, there are expectations a snap election could be called as early as this coming week.

But with the BC Conservatives without a leader, Findlay stressed the party “needs a reset.”

She also added that she would remain the candidate for the party in the upcoming Abbotsford-Mission by-election and would work to earn the confidence of its residents.

The party has faced ongoing difficulties in recent months, including the departure of multiple MLAs, with each citing Findlay’s leadership as a key reason for leaving.

Peter Milobar was one of the first, and has since become the new leader of the CentreBC party, joined by several of the MLAs who left the Conservatives.

Milobar and several of the MLAs who had also left the party in recent weeks had spoken about creating a new party, but decided instead to join CentreBC along with Eleanor Sturko, who was ejected from the Conservative caucus last year.

The party is now the third largest in the legislature, with eight MLAs. Milobar says its focus is around crime and safety in B.C. streets, health care, and the economy.

A date for a snap election has not been announced, but a recent flurry of funding announcements by the provincial government have signalled the possibility an election on the horizon even as municipal election campaigns have begun to kick off.

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Elections BC also recently put out a document outlining dates of advance voting and election day if a vote were to be called in the coming weeks. It says that if an election is called by this Tuesday, British Columbians would head to the polls Oct. 24, while an election called between Sept. 23 to 29 would result in election day to take place on Halloween.

The current scheduled date for the next provincial election is Oct. 21, 2028.