If you haven’t been paying close attention to B.C. politics, you may find yourself confused by recent news.
Just two years after the B.C. Conservatives nearly formed government, the party is in disarray, prompting speculation that the NDP government may hold a snap election in order to capitalize on the turmoil.
If that happens there will be new leaders, new parties and new decisions to make about who should lead the province.
Here’s a brief timeline to get you up to date.
What’s behind the surge in support for the B.C. Conservatives?
Since 1991, two parties have dominated B.C. politics: the B.C. Liberals, and the B.C. NDP. Right now, the NDP is in government, and has been since 2017. Prior to that the B.C. Liberals were in government for more than a decade, from 2001 to 2017, and were viewed as the most likely party to win back power from the NDP.
Though they share a name with the federal Liberals, the B.C. Liberals are actually not formally connected to their counterparts in Ottawa.
Instead, the party broadly served as a space where centre-right voters could coalesce, while the Conservative Party of British Columbia (also unaffiliated with their federal counterparts) spent the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s in the political wilderness, failing to win any seats in Victoria.
But that started to change in 2022 when John Rustad, a former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister, was kicked out of the party by leader Kevin Falcon over social media posts questioning climate science.
Rustad first sat as an Independent, but in February 2023 announced he had joined the Conservatives, giving the party their first seat in the Legislature in decades. In March, he was acclaimed as the party’s new leader.
Longtime B.C. Liberal MLA removed from caucus after questioning climate change science
Meanwhile, the B.C. Liberal brand was dropping in public opinion polls — and in April 2023, 80 per cent of the party’s members voted in favour of changing their name to B.C. United.
This was a time when the federal Liberal Party, under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, was tanking in public opinion polls — and the federal Conservatives, under Pierre Poilievre, were soaring.
Are B.C. voters confused by new provincial party names?
Despite the lack of formal connections, the positive connotations of the Conservative name among many voters helped bolster Rustad’s party’s brand, and in September 2023, he was joined by former B.C. Liberal MLA Bruce Banman, giving the Conservatives official party status.
Their popularity continued to grow, and in August 2024, Falcon officially ended his party’s campaign to form government in the Oct. 19 provincial election, throwing his support behind Rustad.
B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon withdraws party from provincial election
That decision led to many longtime politicians within B.C. United, including former cabinet ministers, without a party to support them in their re-election campaigns.
While a handful made the jump to the Conservatives, many more either pulled out of the race or ran, and lost, as Independents.
When the final tally of votes were complete, the NDP had managed to hold onto government, with the Conservatives very close runners-up.
MLA Dallas Brodie expelled from B.C. Conservative caucus
Despite their electoral success, the B.C. Conservatives did not stay united for long.
In March 2025, Rustad removed MLA Dallas Brodie from the caucus for comments she made on a podcast which he characterized as mocking residential school survivors.
Her removal was followed by the immediate defection of two other MLAs, Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong, from the Conservatives — with Armstrong and Brodie going on to form yet another new political party, OneBC, while Kealy stayed Independent.
2 MLAs defect from B.C. Conservative Party following Dallas Brodie’s ouster
OneBC officially gained party status a few months later, and then lost it again in December when Armstrong said she no longer had confidence in Brodie’s leadership, forcing her out of the role.
As it stands, Brodie is once again party leader, though OneBC does not have official party status. Armstrong remains an Independent.
OneBC ousts MLA Dallas Brodie as its leader — but she says she’s fighting back
Meanwhile, tensions continued within the Conservative caucus, and in September 2025, MLA Elenore Sturko was removed from the party.
Sturko told reporters “socially liberal beliefs” had been silenced by the party.
A month later, MLA Amelia Boultbee also quit the party, citing Rustad’s leadership. She would later join the NDP.
Concurrently, Rustad admitted to searching the phones of party MLAs, saying he was looking for leaks within the caucus. Despite the defections and controversy, Rustad survived a leadership review in September. But that survival wouldn’t last.
Rustad officially ceased being leader of the party he’d led out of the electoral wilderness on Dec. 4, 2025, citing concerns that trying to stay in power would lead to a “civil war.”
His decision came after his party’s board already said he’d been removed, and after 20 of the caucus’s 39 members signed a letter saying they’d “lost confidence” in his leadership.
Rustad officially out as B.C. Conservative Party leader
This was followed by a new leadership race, which culminated with Kerry-Lynne Findlay taking the party reins in May 2026.
A former federal MP under Stephen Harper, Findlay promised a future Conservative government would emphasize “faith, family, and freedom,” and to focus on removing the NDP from government.
Around the same time, Mike Bernier — one of the former B.C. Liberals ousted from politics by Rustad’s rise — became leader of CentreBC, which promised to offer a middle ground between the NDP and Conservatives.
Kerry-Lynne Findlay named new B.C. Conservative leader
A few months later, on Aug. 14, a new round of resignations was kicked off when former finance critic Peter Milobar left the B.C. Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent.
He was followed by Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, Banman and Áʼa꞉líya Warbus before the end of the month.
Calls for unity after wave of exits from B.C. Conservatives
September saw the bleeding continue — with Donegal Wilson and Scott McInnis joining the exodus.
On Sept. 18, several of those MLAs announced they had joined CentreBC, and Bernier said he was stepping aside in order to let Milobar become leader.
Centrists, former B.C. Conservatives join forces under Peter Milobar-led CentreBC party
Findlay, however, vowed to stay on even as more people were forced from the Conservatives — including Trevor Halford, Claire Rattée and Rustad himself.
Then on Sunday, Sept. 20, MLA Linda Hepner left the Conservatives and shortly afterward, Findlay announced she would be stepping down.
With the opposition in turmoil, speculation is high that the B.C. NDP may use the opportunity to go to the polls while their primary opposition is in disarray.
So far, Premier David Eby has simply said the ruling NDP needs to be “election ready.”
Why David Eby is considering a snap election
On Monday, Lorne Doerksen was announced as the interim Conservative party leader, and said that Rustad, Halford, Hepner, McInnis and Rattée had all been readmitted back into the Conservative Party caucus.
Of other former B.C. Conservatives still in the legislature, eight have said they are in in CentreBC: Milobar, Banman, Bird, Paton, Sturko, Warbus, Wat and Wilson.
Boultbee remains with the NDP, Brodie is listed as the leader of OneBC, and Amstrong is an Independent.
Also Independent is Richmond MLA Hon Chan, who was removed from the Conservative caucus in March after being charged with assault, to which he has pled not guilty.
After indicating he may rejoin the party under Findlay, Kealy stayed Independent after he was charged with sexual assault, a charge which he denies. Court proceedings are ongoing in both those cases.
The B.C. Green Party would also be a factor in the next election, with leader Emily Lowan potentially leading her first campaign.
The 26-year-old was elected party leader last year and has yet to win a seat in the Legislature, instead focusing her time on building party support throughout the province.
Lowan has said an early election call would smack of political opportunism.
