Would you like to see two right-of-centre political parties with MLAs in the B.C. Legislature?

Castanet - Sep 6, 2026 / 7:30 am | Story: 630326 Photo: Times Colonist/Adrian Lam file MLA Peter Milobar, left, and MLA Ian Paton speak about their resignations from the B.C. Conservative Party, during a news conference outside the legislature on Aug. 24. Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar's fledgling political party has grown to five members after adding three more former B.C. Conservatives. Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird, Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman and Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Áʼa꞉líya Warbus have joined Milobar and Delta South MLA Ian Paton, the still-unnamed party announced Friday. Milobar will serve as interim leader until the party elects a permanent leader ahead of the legislature's return on Oct. 5. 'We're working hard every day to build the party British Columbia needs right now,' Milobar said in a news release. 'The support we've seen from across the province has been overwhelming, and people are stepping up to help us bring this party to life in a very short time. The appetite for it is undeniable.' Milobar said the new party will focus on fiscal responsibility, resource development and job creation. The party plans to sit with official third-party status, holding five seats, when the legislature reconvenes next month. Under legislative rules, a party requires at least two MLAs to receive official status. The announcement comes after Milobar said his party could eventually attract enough defectors to replace the B.C. Conservatives as the official Opposition. 'It's not inconceivable we can have enough MLAs that we wind up forming the official Opposition even before the next general election,' he said Wednesday. Milobar quit the Conservative caucus on Aug. 14, saying his values no longer aligned with the direction Findlay was taking the party. Paton followed 10 days later, and the pair subsequently announced plans to form a new centrist party. Nine MLAs have left the B.C. Conservative caucus in less than three weeks, reducing the party to 30 seats — down substantially from the 44 they won in the 2024 provincial election. Bird, Banman and Warbus were among seven defectors who initially said they would sit as Independents. Banman has accused those around Findlay of imposing a political 'purity test' and pushing the party further to the right, while Warbus cited a loss of confidence in Findlay's leadership and a lack of communication within the caucus. Findlay has disputed claims she shifted the party's policy direction and suggested some departures may have been driven by leadership ambitions. Four recent defectors — Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, Scott McInnes and Donegal Wilson — have not joined Milobar's new party. The party has not yet announced its name. Have an opinion? Send it to [email protected] September 5, 2026 - 9920 votes Should the province use its jail in Oliver to hold people suffering from addiction and mental health issues in mandatory care? Yes: 8602 No: 887 Unsure: 431 September 3, 2026 - 8553 votes What do you think of the new Canadian $20 bill, featuring a portrait of King Charles? Like it: 3736 Don't like it: 3437 Undecided: 1380 September 2, 2026 - 7154 votes Are your childrens' vaccinations up to date? Yes: 4128 No: 1120 Don't have kids: 1906 September 1, 2026 - 9565 votes Should the campfire ban in southern B.C. be lifted? Yes: 2285 No: 6969 Unsure: 311 August 31, 2026 - 6230 votes Should Meta's new protections for children using Facebook and Instagram be extended to Canada? Yes: 5682 No: 399 Unsure: 149