Current and former B.C. Conservatives are reacting to Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s Sept. 20 resignation as party leader, calling for the party to unite as it faces the prospect of a snap election.
Federal Conservative MP Aaron Gunn, who helped revive the B.C. Conservative Party before entering federal politics, said the recent events in the party have been “very disheartening” and thanked Findlay for her service.
“The last few weeks have been very disheartening, both as a conservative in British Columbia and, more specifically, as someone who dedicated so much time and energy to growing the conservative movement and the Conservative Party in B.C.,” Gunn posted on social media on Sept. 20.
“Now is the time for all conservatives to come together, put differences aside, unite, and do everything we can to defeat the NDP and bring common sense back to British Columbia,” he added.
Findlay’s Sept. 20 resignation came after a wave of departures from the B.C. Conservative caucus since August, including 10 MLAs who left and three who were removed. The departures have reduced the party’s caucus from the 44 seats it won in the 2024 provincial election to 24. On Sept. 21, five MLAs—former interim party leader Trevor Halford, Linda Hepner, Scott McInnis, Claire Rattée, and former party leader John Rustad—rejoined the caucus, bringing the number back up to 29. The governing NDP has 47 seats.
In the wake of Findlay’s exit, the B.C. Conservatives have appointed Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson as interim leader.
Rustad said that he supports Doerkson as interim leader and added that “if the new leadership wants my help, they will have it,” in a Sept. 21 X post.
After former B.C. Premier Christy Clark offered to get involved, Rustad urged her to “step aside.”
“It is time for an older generation of politicians to step aside. That includes former premiers Christy Clark and Gordon Campbell,” he said.
“Their time at the centre is over. They need to let this go. My time as leader is over too.”
Rustad further said that B.C. “cannot afford two opposition parties” and said he expects unity talks between the B.C. Tories and breakaway CentreBC led by Peter Milobar to succeed.
In addition to Gunn, a number of B.C. political figures have reacted to Findlay’s resignation, including Rattée, who was removed from the caucus and sat as an Independent.
She said Findlay’s resignation gives BC Conservatives a chance to “come together” and work toward becoming a “unified, credible government in waiting.”
“No part of the conservative movement can be excluded from this work,” she said in a Sept. 20 statement, adding that members of the caucus who have had conflicts with each other should put the past behind them.
Findlay removed Rattée from the B.C. Conservative caucus on Sept. 18, along with Rustad and Halford. The removals came amid growing calls for Findlay to step down. Findlay said in a statement that there was “no room for internal power struggles or vanity projects.”
Halford thanked Findlay for her service, saying “the last few days have been hard for all of us,” in a Sept. 20 post on X.
“Conservatives and BC are yearning for change after a near decade of NDP decline. Now, more than ever, we all need to come together,” he added.
B.C. Premier David Eby has not yet commented publicly on Findlay’s resignation.
Responding to speculation that he may call an early election, Eby told reporters on Sept. 16 that he had “no election announcements to make today,” but said he had instructed Elections B.C. and his NDP caucus to be “election ready” amid disruptions caused by the ongoing trade war with the United States.
Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney criticized Eby’s comments while commenting on Findlay’s resignation, which he described as “A difficult, commendable decision from someone committed to her province, public service and, the conservative cause.”
Kenney said that seeking an election while the B.C. Tories are still choosing a new leader would be “unthinkably cynical and undemocratic.”
“In my view, the Lieutenant Governor should resist advice to dissolve the Legislature under such exigant circumstances,” he said.
BC Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu, who at one point also ran for party leadership, said he had kept quiet “through much of the turmoil,” adding that throughout this time Doerkson has been a “steady hand and someone I could turn to for honest advice.”
“To every Conservative member: do not cancel your membership and do not throw in the towel. The game is not over. It has just begun. It is time to unite, organize and activate across this province,” he said on social media.
Findlay announced she was stepping down on Sept. 20, less than four months after being chosen as the party’s leader, saying that turmoil within the party was distracting from its role as the Official Opposition.
“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 in a statement of resignation.
She is still the BC Conservative candidate in the Abbotsford-Mission byelection that will be held on Sept. 26.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
