New B.C. Centre-Right Party Secures Five Seats in Legislative Assembly Following Major Conservative Defections

A sweeping political realignment has reshaped the British Columbia Legislative Assembly as three additional Members of the Legislative Assembly officially joined a newly established centre-right provincial political party, cementing a five-member caucus that vaults the nascent formation into third-party standing in Victoria. The party, initially launched by Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar and Delta South MLA Ian Paton, confirmed that Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman, Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird, and Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Áʼa:líya Warbus have formally committed to sit together when the provincial legislature convenes for its autumn legislative session on October 5.\n\nUnder the organizational framework announced Friday, Milobar will serve as interim parliamentary leader, steering legislative strategy while the party establishes formal constituency associations and prepares for an internal membership vote in October to select a permanent party leader. We're working hard, every day, to build the party British Columbia needs right now, Milobar stated in an official 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. This will be a party for hard-working British Columbians: one that restores fiscal sanity to this province and positions British Columbia as a national leader in resource development and job creation.\n\nThe rapid coalescing of the new legislative entity stems from severe internal fractures within the B.C. Conservative caucus over the summer under the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay. All five MLAs comprising the new caucus resigned from the official Conservative opposition following acute policy disputes and administrative friction, which previously saw the abrupt departure of Findlay’s chief of staff, director of operations, and the party’s executive director. Despite mounting pressure and the exodus of nearly one-third of her elected caucus, Findlay issued a defiant statement Thursday asserting her intention to remain at the helm, emphasizing that she was democratically chosen by party membership to lead with determination and humility.\n\nThe formalization of the Milobar-led caucus introduces significant operational fluidity to the legislative balance of power, with additional unaligned MLAs actively evaluating their parliamentary allegiances. Several other former Conservative legislators—including Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day, Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat, Boundary-Similkameen MLA Donegal Wilson, and Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis—remain sitting as independent members while observing the emerging party’s policy manifesto. Concurrently, high-profile independent MLA Elenore Sturko (Surrey-Cloverdale) confirmed ongoing discussions regarding potential alignment, though she has not formally declared membership.\n\nThe emergence of a disciplined, moderate five-member centre-right bloc carries immediate statutory consequences for provincial governance under Premier David Eby’s B.C. NDP administration. By attaining official third-party recognition under legislative assembly standing orders, the new caucus gains guaranteed question period interrogation rights, dedicated committee appointments, and parliamentary research funding. This institutional presence provides moderate and fiscal conservative voters an organized legislative alternative, bridging traditional resource-sector economic development priorities with mainstream environmental and social moderation ahead of upcoming fiscal debates.\n\nWith B.C. politics experiencing historic volatility following the dissolution of the former B.C. Liberal coalition and subsequent splintering among opposition forces, the consolidation of the new party represents a decisive effort to establish a stable, professional alternative to both the governing New Democrats and the populist right. As party organizers mobilize grassroots networks across the Interior, Fraser Valley, and Lower Mainland ahead of the October leadership convention, Victoria prepares for one of its most consequential and fragmented legislative sessions in decades.