Findlay was elected leader of a deeply divided party in May, and the fractures continued all summer with MLAs jumping ship
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Embattled B.C. Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay has stepped down as the head of her party.
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Speculation began Saturday afternoon that Findlay would resign, and she made it official with a statement released on Sunday, hours after Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner announced she had resigned from caucus.
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Under the party’s constitution an interim leader is decided by the board, but can be voted on by caucus and then approved by party executives.
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Findlay had been presiding over a fractured party ever since being elected as leader in May. The most recent incident involved the revelation a private investigator had been hired to spy on more than two dozen current and former members of her own party, as well as journalists.
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Sunrise
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She is set to run in a byelection Sept. 26 for MLA in Abbotsford-Mission. Reann Gasper stepped down from the position in August to open a legislative seat for Findlay. Gasper is now Findlay’s chief of staff.
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At least two MLAs reportedly asked her to step aside in an emergency caucus meeting Wednesday night in Vancouver, after revelations of the private investigations came light.
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Findlay had won leadership of the B.C. Conservatives in May, getting 51 per cent of the vote, and taking over from interim leader Trevor Halford. He took over from John Rustad, who resigned in December 2025 after 20 MLAs signed a letter of non-confidence.
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On Friday, Rustad and Halford were cut loose from the party by Findlay. Rustad was told by text he was out, only to see it recanted 15 minutes later, but was told again the following morning he was out.
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“I don’t think anybody’s ever been booted out of the same party twice within 12 hours,” he said Saturday.
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Skeena MLA Claire Rattée was also expelled from caucus, for a total of 13 members who have been cut loose or resigned voluntarily since Findlay took over.
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That doesn’t include party staffers, such as Elaine Allan, who was hired and then fired as executive director, and Apollo Chung, who was also hired and fired by Findlay.
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More to come …
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