September 23, 2026 — Victoria, B.C.
The B.C. NDP is criticizing the B.C. Conservative Party over the possibility of changing its constitution to allow interim leader Lorne Doerkson to remain leader if the Conservatives win the upcoming provincial election.
The criticism came in a statement released Wednesday by B.C. NDP candidate and former cabinet minister Mike Farnworth, who accused the Conservatives of asking British Columbians to give the party a “blank cheque” amid ongoing leadership turmoil.
Doerkson became interim leader on September 21 following Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s resignation. The change came after weeks of internal conflict within the Conservative caucus, including a series of departures and expulsions. The party has since moved to bring several former members back into its caucus.
Constitution currently prevents interim leader from seeking permanent leadership
Under the B.C. Conservative Party’s current rules, an interim leader cannot subsequently run for the party’s permanent leadership.
That means Doerkson’s position would become an issue if the Conservatives won the October 24 election while he remained interim leader. Current reporting has identified a constitutional amendment as one possible way for the party to allow Doerkson to continue as permanent leader and premier. Former B.C. Conservative executive director Angelo Isidorou has said a constitutional change could be pursued at a general meeting if Doerkson were to win the election.
The NDP statement argues that such a change would require a two-thirds majority of members voting at an annual or special general meeting. The statement cites Section 10.03 of the party constitution, which it says requires constitutional and bylaw changes to receive a two-thirds majority.
StudioX News was able to confirm that the B.C. Conservative Party publishes its constitution and bylaws as part of its governing documents, and the party’s membership materials state that members can attend annual or special general meetings and vote on party matters.
NDP points to Findlay’s leadership contest
Farnworth’s statement also links the current leadership uncertainty to Findlay’s election as B.C. Conservative leader earlier this year.
Findlay won the party’s leadership contest on May 30, 2026, but resigned less than four months later. Her resignation followed significant turmoil inside the Conservative caucus, including the removal of former leader John Rustad and other MLAs from the caucus in the final days of her leadership.
Several former Conservative MLAs have since returned or been invited back under Doerkson. Global News reported that Doerkson said a number of legislators had accepted invitations to return, while the Conservatives were presenting themselves as united ahead of the election.
The NDP statement characterizes the Conservative membership faction that supported Findlay as “far-right” and argues that voters should question whether the party can provide stable leadership.
Those descriptions are political claims from the NDP and are not independent findings by StudioX News.
Farnworth criticizes Conservatives
In the statement, Farnworth said:
“What the B.C. Conservatives are saying is that British Columbians should write a blank cheque to the same far-right party members that just picked Kerry-Lynne Findlay as their leader. Why would people ever trust them after what we’ve seen?”
The Conservatives have not, in the material reviewed for this report, announced a specific constitutional amendment that would permanently install Doerkson as party leader.
Doerkson has instead been campaigning as interim leader while the party prepares for the October 24 election. He has also said the Conservatives are ready to contest the election and has worked to rebuild the caucus following the recent departures.
The question of whether Doerkson could remain leader if the Conservatives won therefore depends on the party’s constitutional rules and any subsequent decision by its membership to amend them.
The development comes as British Columbia heads toward an October 24 provincial election, with the Conservatives attempting to consolidate their caucus after weeks of internal upheaval.
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, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
