VANCOUVER, B.C. — The B.C. Conservative caucus is facing a major internal shake-up after three sitting MLAs left the party in just 11 days, raising questions about the direction of the Official Opposition under newly elected leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
The latest departure came Tuesday, August 25, when Prince George–Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird announced she was leaving the B.C. Conservative caucus and would sit as an Independent.
Bird’s departure follows Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar’s decision to leave the Conservatives on August 14 and Delta South MLA Ian Paton’s departure on August 24.
Together, the three departures represent the most significant caucus disruption the party has faced since the 2024 provincial election.
Rosalyn Bird leaves caucus, cites political infighting
Bird said leaving the party was a difficult decision and that she would continue representing residents of Prince George–Valemount as an Independent MLA.
In announcing her departure, Bird criticized what she described as political infighting, name-calling and divisive politics.
She also said political leaders have a responsibility to reject racism, antisemitism, homophobia and hatred while continuing to allow difficult discussions about issues including immigration, Indigenous reconciliation, addiction, crime, gender and religion.
Bird’s comments come after weeks of tension within the Conservative organization following Findlay’s victory in the party’s leadership contest in May.
The Canadian Press reported that Bird, a former Conservative caucus whip, warned that freedom of speech does not remove responsibility for the consequences of political statements and actions.
Three Conservative MLAs have now left the caucus
Bird is the third Conservative MLA to leave the caucus since August 14.
Peter Milobar was the first of the three recent departures. The Kamloops Centre MLA left the Conservative caucus on August 14, saying he no longer believed the party’s direction and messaging reflected his values.
Milobar subsequently joined Ian Paton in announcing plans to establish a new provincial political party.
Paton, the MLA for Delta South, announced his departure on August 24. He and Milobar said they intend to register a new party with Elections BC before the fall legislative session.
Milobar is expected to serve as interim leader of the proposed party. The two former Conservatives have said they want to offer voters an alternative to the governing B.C. NDP without aligning themselves with what they see as the direction of the Conservative Party under Findlay.
Bird, however, has not announced plans to join Milobar and Paton’s proposed party. She has said she will sit as an Independent.
Conservative caucus falls from 44 elected members
The B.C. Conservatives entered the 2024 provincial election with significant momentum and won 44 seats, becoming the Official Opposition.
The party’s current caucus is now smaller.
According to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s current party standings, the legislature has 47 NDP MLAs, 39 Conservative MLAs, two Green MLAs and five Independents.
The change represents a five-seat reduction in the Conservative caucus compared with the party’s 44 elected seats in the 2024 election.
The departures are not all attributable to the same event or political disagreement. However, the concentration of defections following the Conservative leadership change has intensified scrutiny of Findlay’s ability to maintain caucus unity.
Findlay acknowledges more MLAs could leave
Findlay addressed reporters in Vancouver on Tuesday as Bird’s departure became public.
The Conservative leader acknowledged that additional MLAs could potentially leave the caucus.
“There may even be others that leave our caucus. I don’t know,” Findlay said, according to The Canadian Press.
Findlay maintained that the Conservative Party remains focused on its political objectives and rejected the suggestion that the departures demonstrate a fundamental change in the party’s platform.
“There have been no platform changes,” Findlay said. “There have been no policy changes.”
She argued that MLAs who leave are making their own decisions about the direction of the party rather than responding to a change in Conservative policy.
A leadership transition under intense pressure
Findlay was elected leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. on May 30 after a competitive leadership race that included Milobar.
Her victory marked a significant shift in the party’s internal direction.
The leadership contest exposed divisions between members who favoured a more traditional centre-right approach and those seeking a more socially conservative political agenda. Analysts noted that Findlay’s victory represented a move toward the right for the party.
The departures of Milobar and Paton are particularly significant because both were elected Conservative MLAs and represent constituencies where the party had established political support.
Their decision to create a new party could also create a new challenge for the Conservatives if the proposed political organization attracts former Conservative supporters or additional sitting MLAs.
What the new party could mean for B.C. politics
Milobar and Paton have said their proposed party is intended to appeal to voters who are dissatisfied with the NDP government but do not see a political path forward with the Conservatives under Findlay.
The pair have not yet formally established the new party, meaning its eventual name, organization, membership and policy platform remain to be determined.
Milobar has indicated that the proposed party could initially consist of just the two former Conservative MLAs, although he has also suggested that other Conservative caucus members could potentially join.
If additional MLAs leave, the political consequences could become more significant.
For the Conservatives, further defections would reduce the size of the Official Opposition and could complicate the party’s efforts to present itself as a government-in-waiting.
For Milobar and Paton, attracting additional legislators would immediately give their proposed party greater visibility and parliamentary relevance.
Conservatives remain Official Opposition
Despite the defections, the B.C. Conservatives remain the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
The B.C. NDP holds 47 of the legislature’s 93 seats and remains the governing party.
The Conservatives hold 39 seats, while the Green Party has two and five MLAs are listed as Independents.
The legislature is scheduled to return on October 5, 2026, meaning the competing opposition groups will have an opportunity to establish their positions before the fall sitting.
That makes the coming weeks important for all sides.
The Conservatives will need to demonstrate that their caucus can remain united under Findlay’s leadership. Milobar and Paton will need to establish their proposed party and determine whether they can attract additional support. Independent MLAs will also have greater visibility in a legislature with a growing number of members outside the major caucuses.
A pivotal moment for the B.C. Conservatives
The departure of Rosalyn Bird does not by itself determine the future of the Conservative Party of B.C.
However, three caucus departures in 11 days — including two MLAs now working toward a new political party — represent a significant political challenge for Findlay only months after she won the leadership.
The immediate question is whether the departures mark the end of an internal Conservative realignment or the beginning of a larger split.
With the fall legislative session approaching, the answer could become clearer in the weeks ahead.
For now, the B.C. Conservatives remain the Official Opposition, but their caucus is considerably smaller than the one elected by British Columbians in 2024 — and their new leader faces the task of rebuilding unity while defending the party’s political direction.
Findlay Responds to Departures, Plans New Nominations
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay responded to the recent caucus departures on August 25, saying the party’s focus remains on British Columbians and its goal of forming the next provincial government.
In a statement, Findlay said the recent resignations are “a matter of public record” and maintained that the party’s political direction remains unchanged.
She said the Conservatives intend to open nominations promptly in ridings where new opportunities have emerged, adding that the party is already attracting potential nominees who share its political objectives and have ties to their communities.
Findlay also sought to shift attention away from the internal turmoil, arguing that British Columbians want results on issues including public safety, housing affordability, resource development, taxation, health care, education and property protection.
“Our vision is optimistic and forward-looking,” Findlay said, while describing the Conservatives as a government-in-waiting and promising to continue rebuilding the party.
The announcement comes as the Conservative caucus deals with the departures of Peter Milobar, Ian Paton and Rosalyn Bird in August.
Findlay’s decision to move quickly toward new nominations suggests the party is seeking to turn the recent vacancies into an organizational opportunity while reinforcing its campaign for the next provincial election.
The statement did not provide specific dates for the nomination meetings or identify potential candidates for the affected electoral districts.
StudioX News will continue to follow developments involving the B.C. Conservative caucus, the proposed new party being formed by former Conservative MLAs Peter Milobar and Ian Paton, and the upcoming fall session of the B.C. Legislature.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
