Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird has quit the BC Conservative caucus and will sit as an independent.
“I’ve known for a little while that I wasn’t particularly aligned with the direction that it appears (Conservative leader Kerry-Lynn) Findlay is taking the party,” she told CBC News. “I chose to go with my integrity, my personal principles and values.”
She said Findlay and the party leadership are moving the party farther to the right on the political spectrum and that she doesn’t believe that is what British Columbians want.
Bird’s departure brings to the number of Conservative MLAs quitting the party and sitting as independents to four. She joins Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, and Teresa Wat as MLA not enamoured with Findlay’s leadership.
“In 2024 I joined the BC Conservatives with the belief that it would become a broad coalition for British Columbians who wanted responsible, common-sense government,” Paton said in a news release. “What united us was a broad belief in responsible government, private enterprise, fiscal discipline and building a strong economy. It has become clear to me that the new direction of the Conservative Party of BC under the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay is no longer aligned with my beliefs. I was elected to represent Delta South in Victoria. I was not elected to simply represent a political party in Delta South.”
“I completely respect the vote of the membership, and that Kerry-Lynne Findlay has earned the right as leader to shape the party as she sees fit,” said Milobar. “It has, however, become clear to me over the last few months that my values don’t align with this new direction.”
Paton said it is his intention, along with Milobar, to form a new political party. It is not known whether Bird and Wat will be part of that effort.