Five Former Conservative MLAs Form New Centre-Right Party Ahead of BC Fall Legislative Session

VICTORIA, B.C. — The political landscape of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly experienced a major realignment on Friday as three additional independent provincial lawmakers officially joined MLAs Peter Milobar and Ian Paton to establish a new centre-right political party ahead of the legislature's upcoming autumn sitting.

Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman, Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird, and Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Á'a:líya Warbus confirmed that they will sit alongside Milobar and Paton as a cohesive legislative caucus when the fall session officially convenes in Victoria on October 5. Under the collective agreement, Milobar will serve as the interim parliamentary leader of the new formation until party members convene a formal leadership convention in late October to select a permanent leader.

All five lawmakers previously resigned from the B.C. Conservative caucus following deep internal disagreements over party governance, candidate vetting standards, policy platforms, and strategic direction under party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. The mass exodus of experienced legislators significantly eroded the official Conservative caucus inside the legislative assembly, creating an opening for a moderate alternative aimed at uniting business-oriented, suburban, and resource-community voters.

In public statements announcing the caucus unification, Milobar emphasized that the newly organized party intends to restore disciplined fiscal management and pragmatic governance to British Columbia while positioning the province as a competitive destination for natural resource development, infrastructure investment, and private sector employment. He indicated that grassroots organizers, municipal officials, and commercial leaders across Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, and the Fraser Valley have offered strong logistical and financial backing to build out riding associations in an accelerated timeframe.

The ongoing fracturing on the political right arrives as Premier David Eby's New Democratic Party government prepares a substantial legislative agenda for the autumn session focusing on municipal housing supply regulations, healthcare professional recruitment, energy security, and major infrastructure financing. The division among opposition benches complicates legislative committee dynamics, budget scrutiny, and question period strategies, creating competing centres of opposition to the governing party.

Meanwhile, B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay reiterated that she has no intention of relinquishing party leadership despite the departures of five sitting MLAs and recent senior administrative resignations affecting the party's executive directorship and operations bureau. Findlay asserted that she maintains an electoral mandate from grassroots party members and will actively lead the remaining caucus into upcoming provincial byelections, including the contest in Abbotsford-Mission.

The newly formed caucus could potentially expand further before the legislature reconvenes. Several other legislators who recently severed ties with the Conservatives—including Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day, Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat, Boundary-Similkameen MLA Donegal Wilson, Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis, and Surrey-Cloverdale Independent MLA Elenore Sturko—are actively assessing whether to join the Milobar-led caucus or maintain independent legislative status.

With parliamentary recognized party status carrying crucial research funding, committee assignments, and prioritized speaking privileges during legislative debates, the formation of this five-member caucus ensures that the new centre-right faction will hold substantial procedural influence as British Columbia navigates pressing economic, fiscal, and municipal governance challenges. Political commentators note that the development signals a broader transition in provincial conservative politics, as legislative members seek a stable platform to address regional infrastructure, public safety, and provincial taxation concerns heading into the next general election cycle.