VICTORIA – Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre believes British Columbia would benefit from Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s leadership, but two former provincial Conservatives argue that the new leader of their old party will deepen divisions in the province.
Poilievre expressed his hope that Findlay will work to make B. C. more affordable and safer as he congratulated her on winning the leadership of the Conservative Party of B. C.
This statement was made Monday in Ottawa, following Findlay’s victory over commentator Caroline Elliott on Saturday during the fourth round of voting to succeed former leader John Rustad.
B. C. independent MLA Amelia Boultbee speaks outside the legislature in Victoria, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Wolfgang Depner
Rustad was ousted amid conflicts that resulted in five legislators leaving or being removed from the party, including Amelia Boultbee and Elenore Sturko, who now serve as Independents.
Boultbee stated in an interview that Findlay’s win indicates a faction within the party wants to push B. C. Conservatives “further and further to the right,” aiming for a “Donald Trump-style populism.”
Sturko – who was expelled from the caucus by Rustad in September – mentioned on social media that Findlay’s election creates a gap for those seeking an alternative to “NDP incompetence.”
“I feel strongly that British Columbian is best served, when it is represented by a government that values broad perspectives and stays away from polarizing extremes,” she says. “I believe that the majority of British Columbians feel the same.”
Boultbee pointed out that while Trump-style populism resonates with some Conservative supporters, it doesn’t align with where most British Columbians want to go.
“There’s a world, in which I might have been able to get behind her, if she had cut out some of the more further-to-the-right stuff,” Boultbee says.
Although Boultbee mentioned she’s not ruling out a return to the party someday, she hasn’t been contacted by anyone and is focused on representing her riding in Okanagan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first June 1, 2026.
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