The B.C. Conservative Party leader will be running in the district where party whip Reann Gasper stepped aside for her.
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A date has been set for a crucial byelection for Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s B.C. Conservatives.
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Premier David Eby has officially called the byelection for Abbotsford-Mission, with the final voting day set for Sept. 26. The seat was vacated by Reann Gasper last week, to make way for Findlay, the Conservative Party leader who is currently without a seat.
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Gasper, who was the B.C. Conservative deputy whip, said last week the decision was for the good of the party, with an eye on defeating the NDP to form government.
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“That requires us to make decisions that put the strength of our team and our ability to win first. I believe this is one of those decisions.”
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Sunrise
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But the Conservative Party has been in disarray, with six MLA’s leaving the caucus since Findlay was elected leader, and there’s the possibility of more defecting or declaring independence after a meeting in Richmond on Monday.
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Also a factor is leaked audio from a meeting in July, where she is heard allegedly offering adviser positions for MLAs who step aside to let her run in their riding.
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“If someone was willing to step aside, I could give them a role. As senior advisers in their same portfolio so that they’re very much involved and around. … I really would like to see this happen before the (legislature) goes back in February.”
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Findlay has denied the accusations.
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The leaked audio backs up claims made by Delta-South MLA Ian Paton, who recently announced his intention to start a new political party with Kamloops MLA Peter Milobar after leaving the Conservatives last week.
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Gaspar won the Abbotsford-Mission seat over NDP candidate Pam Alexis by around 2,500 votes in 2024, earning 55 per cent of the vote. Alexis had held the seat from 2020-24, after beating the Liberals’ Simon Gibson.
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On Saturday, Alexis announced her intention to run as the NDP candidate. The former mayor of Mission served as the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Food during her tenure as MLA of the farm-heavy riding (2020-2024).
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“It’s tough out there right now, and families in Abbotsford and Mission need an MLA and a government that’s looking out for them,” she said in a statement.
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“David Eby and the B.C. NDP are strengthening health care by hiring doctors and nurses, bringing down housing costs, and creating good-paying jobs. Meanwhile, the B.C. Conservatives are focusing on culture wars over the things that matter most.”
