The resignation of Kerry-Lynne Findlay as leader of British Columbia’s Conservative Party on Sunday marks the end of a tumultuous chapter in provincial politics, one characterised by bitter infighting, high-profile expulsions, and a series of defections that left the party fractured just months ahead of a crucial byelection. Findlay confirmed she will remain the party’s candidate in the September 26 contest in Abbotsford-Mission, where she hopes to win a seat in the legislature.
Her departure, which came on the same day three sitting MLAs were ejected from the party caucus, raises urgent questions about the Conservatives’ ability to present a united front against Premier David Eby’s New Democratic government. What follows is a portrait of a party at war with itself — and the figures attempting to pick up the pieces.
A Leadership Marred by Discord
Findlay’s time at the helm of the provincial Conservatives was short-lived but extraordinarily turbulent. In her resignation statement, she acknowledged that the party had squandered valuable energy on internal strife rather than on confronting the governing NDP.
“Energy that should have been directed toward challenging the NDP, advancing our principles, and preparing to form government has instead been spent infighting amongst ourselves,” Findlay said.
She also addressed the personal toll of the role, noting that public life demands resilience. “Public life requires a thick skin. I have spent much of my career in positions of public trust, and I understand that criticism comes with the territory. But attacks on someone’s character and family, and threats directed toward them, cross a line that should concern all of us, regardless of our politics.”
Her resignation appears to have been precipitated, at least in part, by a series of high-profile exits from the party. Over recent months, several sitting legislators either left the Conservative caucus or were removed from it, creating a rift that proved increasingly difficult to manage.
Reactions From the Provincial Stage
The fallout from Findlay’s departure prompted a range of responses from politicians across British Columbia, revealing both the depth of the divisions within the Conservative ranks and the determination of some figures to move beyond them.
John Rustad, the former Conservative leader who currently serves as MLA for Nechako Lakes, suggested that his successor did not necessarily need to hold a legislative seat. “It just has to be somebody who can pull this party together … and who can show the province a vision for a prosperous British Columbia, a vision for how we can address the serious issues that the NDP has thrust upon the people in this province. People want change. We are going to deliver that for them.”
Claire Rattée, the Independent MLA for Skeena, was among three legislators expelled from the Conservative caucus under Findlay on Friday. She framed the leadership change as an opportunity for renewal. “Sunday’s leadership change gives our MLAs the opportunity to come together, chart a clear path forward and build a unified, credible government-in-waiting capable of defeating David Eby.” Rattée further emphasised the need for inclusivity within the conservative movement, stating: “No part of the conservative movement can be excluded from this work. Our movement includes people with a wide range of views who have supported different leaders. We must now put the past behind us and operate according to one simple principle: if you want to defeat David Eby and build a better British Columbia, you are welcome on this team.”
Sheldon Clare, the Conservative MLA for Prince George and Opposition house leader, offered a more candid assessment of what went wrong. “I believe that when we were elected we came with enthusiasm, passion, energy, and impatience to fix things. When that ability to effect change wasn’t available, some individuals sought to accelerate change and others to work to support their own interests,” Clare said in a text message to The Canadian Press. He nonetheless struck an optimistic note, insisting the party remained “a strong and viable entity” and “the best poised means of defeating the NDP and forming a responsible government.”
Gavin Dew, the Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, echoed that sentiment, pointing to the party’s grassroots membership as a source of strength. “Findlay won the leadership with the support of grassroots conservative members, and we owe it to them to do everything in our power to defeat David Eby,” Dew said. “If he calls a cynical snap election he’s doing it for himself, not for British Columbians. We will defeat him, undo the damage he has done, and restore hope.”
The Independent Voice
Not all reactions came from within the Conservative Party itself. Dallas Brodie, the Independent MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, was notably critical of Findlay’s leadership. Brodie, who was thrown out of the Conservative caucus in 2025 over remarks made by then-leader John Rustad that were widely condemned as mocking residential school survivors, described Findlay as “the wrong winner.”
“She tried her best to save the party but the knives were out from the very beginning. She was taken down in a most savage and vindictive attack,” Brodie said. He currently serves as interim leader of OneBC, a political organisation that lacks official party status in the legislature. “OneBC is the home of the grassroots movement that is sick to death of the corrupt games of those driving B.C. into the ground.”
Brodie’s comments underscore the broader conservative landscape in British Columbia, where multiple competing movements vye for the attention of voters disillusioned with the governing NDP.
What Comes Next
The Conservative Party of British Columbia now faces a period of introspection and rebuilding. With Findlay gone and several of its sitting MLAs sitting as independents or having been expelled, the party must quickly identify a path forward if it hopes to remain a credible force in provincial politics.
The September 26 byelection in Abbotsford-Mission will serve as an early test. Findlay’s decision to stand as the party’s candidate suggests she intends to remain in the political arena, but the outcome will signal whether the grassroots conservative vote can be consolidated under a single banner — or whether the fragmentation witnessed in recent months continues to erode the party’s prospects.
The contest also raises the spectre of a snap election from Premier Eby, though Conservative figures have suggested such a move would be self-serving. “If he calls a cynical snap election he’s doing it for himself, not for British Columbians,” Dew said. British Columbians will be watching closely to see whether the province’s right-of-centre voters can unite, and whether any new leadership can channel the energy of the grassroots membership into a genuine challenge to the NDP’s grip on power.
Why it Matters
The resignation of Kerry-Lynne Findlay is not merely a leadership change — it is a symptom of deeper fractures within British Columbia’s conservative political landscape. With multiple parties and independent movements competing for the same voter base, the right-of-centre vote risks being further divided at a time when the governing NDP faces growing scrutiny over its handling of the province’s most pressing issues. The outcome of the upcoming byelection and the speed at which the Conservatives can reunify will likely shape the political trajectory of British Columbia for years to come, determining whether the province moves toward genuine political alternation or remains locked in its current governing arrangement.