Analysts say the rightward direction of B.C. Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay also provides opportunity to pick up disaffected voters
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The NDP received good news last week with the floor-crossing of independent Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee, but experts say that what this means for the governing party’s electoral prospects remains unclear.
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While some say the party could pick up more centrist voters who have been disaffected by new B.C. Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s shift to the right, others say it could leave the NDP vulnerable to some of their left-wing base moving to the Greens.
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Here are four things to know about Boultbee joining the NDP:
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Why did Boultbee move to the NDP?
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Originally elected as a B.C. Conservative in the 2024 election, Boultbee left the party in October 2025 following the ejection of Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko by then-leader John Rustad.
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She said at the time that Rustad had told her to leave if she wasn’t happy with his leadership, so that is what she did.
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Boultbee now says the Conservatives are getting even more insular under Rustad’s successor, Findlay, and that she believes the NDP are on the right path to addressing some of the issues facing the province.
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“The party I was first elected with was promised to me and many others as a big-tent party, but it gets smaller by the day. There’s a new leader more consumed with divisive Donald Trump-style populism than with things that actually matter to people,” said Boultbee following her crossing, taking a shot at Findlay.
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“The reason for this move is because I want to be part of the solution. I know that I can do a much better job for my constituents, being with such a strong team and with this premier. There’s no trade, there’s no deal. I’m coming here because I want to be here.”
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For his part, NDP Premier David Eby said he didn’t promise any position within government to Boultbee and that she came over voluntarily. He praised her legal training and her community advocacy.
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How does this benefit the government?
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Aileen Machell, Eby’s former deputy chief of staff, says Boultbee’s floor-crossing gives the NDP more breathing room in the legislature.
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She also says it gives the NDP a toehold in the Okanagan in a competitive seat, with Boultbee narrowly defeating NDP candidate Tina Lee by less than 400 votes in the 2024 election.
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“What this does is it gives Premier Eby and his team breathing room in the house as they prepare for legislation and the budget, and there’s no need for the speaker to break a tie,” she said.
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David Black, a Royal Roads political communications professor, said the move is a solid victory for Eby and allows him to call a byelection if needed to replace Vancouver-Strathcona MLA Joan Phillip or Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore, both of whom have been dealing with health problems.
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He also said that it was clear Boultbee wasn’t comfortable with the direction the Conservatives were going under Findlay and that she has strong feelings about some of her fellow independent MLAs — including Richmond Centre’s Hon Chan and Peace River North’s Jordan Kealy — who have both been charged with serious criminal offences in recent months.
