A collective of five former MLAs from the B.C. Conservative Party is uniting to establish a new provincial political entity, spearheaded by Peter Milobar and Ian Paton.
MLAs Rosalyn Bird, Bruce Banman, and Áʼa:líya Warbus, who have recently departed from the Conservatives, revealed their affiliation with the new party on Friday morning.
This announcement comes in the wake of nine resignations from the B.C. Conservative caucus.
In a press release issued Friday morning, the MLAs of the unnamed party expressed their intention to provide a “stable, serious alternative to the NDP.”
Milobar, serving as interim leader of the party, shared with CBC’s The Early Edition that their focus will be on tackling the everyday issues faced by British Columbians, such as affordability, property rights, natural resource development, and healthcare “in a manner that is not solely bound by ideology.”
“Ultimately, I want us to defeat the NDP and form a government,” Milobar stated.
Milobar resigned from the Conservative caucus on August 14, citing a misalignment between his values and those of the new leader, followed closely by Paton.
The duo announced their plans to create a new political party on August 24.
Milobar will take on the role of interim leader until a permanent leader is elected by the caucus. The party aims to conduct an internal leadership vote before October 5, when the legislature reconvenes.
With five seats, the new party plans to hold third-party status officially.
B.C. Conservatives Facing Turmoil
Since the election of Kerry-Lynne Findlay as party leader in May, nine Conservative MLAs have exited the caucus.
Findlay’s leadership has indicated a shift to the right, particularly through controversial staffing choices.
Many departing MLAs have voiced their concerns regarding Findlay’s direction.
Additionally, the Conservatives have experienced the departure of key founding staff members over the past month, including the executive director and the president.
In a statement released Thursday, Findlay emphasized her commitment to earning the trust of Conservative members and her objective to strengthen her team.
“I was elected to steer this party, and I plan to lead with determination, humility, and the understanding that effective leaders listen, learn, and adapt when necessary,” she remarked.
She also highlighted her focus on issues such as emergency room closures, crime and drug-related problems, and the rising cost of living.
Milobar previously contested against Findlay in the leadership race in May.
This new party is not the first initiative aimed at providing an alternative to challenge the NDP.
Earlier this year, former B.C. Liberal MLAs launched CentreBC, a party aiming to steer clear of the “divisive downward spiral of extreme politics.”
The party currently lacks any sitting MLAs in the legislature but plans to field a candidate in an upcoming byelection.
Another group, OneBC, is actively courting social conservatives. MLA Dallas Brodie co-founded this party in June of last year, following her removal from the Conservatives by then-leader John Rustad.
OneBC lost its official party status in December when Brodie and co-founder Tara Armstrong separated. A party requires two MLAs to achieve official status, leaving Brodie and Armstrong to serve as Independents.
Milobar expressed that he is not worried about his new party splitting the right-wing vote.
He referred to the recent “exodus of MLAs” from the Conservative caucus as “chaos.”
“This initiative is about us recalibrating and providing a legitimate voting option that constituents can identify with, and that MLAs can take pride in being a part of.”