Findlay Vows to Stay as B.C. Conservative Leader Ahead of By-Election
Kerry-Lynne Findlay says she will remain leader of the B.C. Conservatives. She told reporters she is "not going anywhere" despite nine legislators leaving her caucus — the party's elected MLAs in the legislature — since she won the leadership in May, according to The Globe and Mail.
She spoke in Vancouver after addressing the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention. She was flanked by about a dozen legislators from what is now a 28-member caucus.
Findlay left the door open to returns. She said former caucus members are welcome to discuss coming back, but "it has to happen now."
The next test is a by-election, a vote held outside a general election to fill one seat. Findlay is campaigning in Abbotsford-Mission, which votes Sept. 26, in a bid to win a seat in the legislature. She pointed to her mandate from the membership, saying 27,000 party members voted for her as leader.
On fundraising, the party has launched an "emergency" drive. It is seeking donations in the next 48 hours for digital and print advertisements, voter messaging and volunteer mobilization.
On Aug. 27, Findlay said she had directed her chief of staff to terminate the director of operations for the BC Conservative Caucus, in a post on Facebook. Days later, that chief of staff resigned as the departures continued, CP24 reported on Sept. 2.
Two more MLAs quit the caucus around that time, with concerns about Findlay's leadership cited for their decisions, Global News reported. Earlier, on Aug. 25, Findlay had described those who left as "selfish" while insisting her remaining caucus is united in the goal of beating the NDP, CBC News reported.
Premier David Eby has told his legislators to be "election ready" amid disruption from the trade war with the United States.
The broader context here is how an Official Opposition functions in Victoria. The Opposition, the largest party outside government, assigns critics to cover ministries, staffs legislative committees and uses daily question period to press ministers. With fewer MLAs, and with a leader who cannot speak on the floor, that work gets harder.
Looking at what this means for the next two weeks, two clocks are running. One is electoral. Abbotsford-Mission votes Sept. 26. A win puts Findlay in the chamber with a direct line to the premier. A loss leaves her leadership claim resting on the May membership vote while the caucus count remains under scrutiny. The other clock is organizational. A 48-hour appeal tied to advertising and volunteer mobilization points to a party trying to convert that membership base into campaign capacity before the by-election, even as MLAs continue to reassess their affiliation.
