B.C. Conservative caucus shrinks to 30 after 14 legislators leave

The B.C. Conservatives came within three ridings of winning the 2024 provincial election. Since then, the party has lost 14 legislators, reducing its caucus from 44 members to 30.

The departures have followed disputes over ideology, leadership and personal conduct. John Rustad expelled Dallas Brodie on March 7, 2025, saying Brodie’s remarks mocked residential school survivors. Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong left the caucus the same day in solidarity with Brodie. Armstrong briefly joined Brodie in the OneBC party, but both later became Independents. Kealy also sits as an Independent and denies a sexual-assault accusation.

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get the F out

Elenore Sturko, a former RCMP officer and high-profile recruit for Rustad, left the caucus after Rustad expelled her in September 2025. Sturko said he accused her of plotting against his leadership, which she denied. Amelia Boultbee resigned in October 2025 after accusing Rustad of telling her to “get the F out.” Rustad questioned her health and state of mind. Boultbee later joined the NDP caucus, saying the Conservatives had moved toward “Trump-style populism” under Findlay, who replaced Rustad in May.

Other departures have added legal and political strain. Interim leader Trevor Halford removed Hon Chan after Chan faced charges of assault, assault by choking and uttering threats in an alleged intimate-partner-violence case. Chan disputes the allegations and plans to defend himself in court. Peter Milobar quit, citing a lack of “ideological alignment” with Findlay, after a leadership debate in which she accused him of a conflict of interest involving his Indigenous wife’s paid work for a local Indigenous band. Reann Gasper resigned her seat so Findlay could run in a byelection, then became Findlay’s deputy chief of staff. Ian Paton also left the party, saying he objected to its direction under Findlay.

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Trump-style populism