Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar and CentreBC leader Mike Bernier announced a merger Friday in Vancouver, with Milobar taking over the leadership of CentreBC from Bernier, a former B.C. United MLA with no seat in the legislature.
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Two centre-right political groups are merging under the CentreBC banner in an effort to provide a united alternative to the fracturing B.C. Conservatives.
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Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar and CentreBC leader Mike Bernier announced a merger Friday in Vancouver, with Milobar taking over the leadership of CentreBC from Bernier, a former B.C. United MLA with no seat in the legislature.
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In total, the party will have eight seats in the legislature. But Milobar and Bernier know the priority is to get set for a possible snap election widely expected to be called by Premier David Eby, possibly as early as this weekend.
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“That is what Mike and myself have been doing quite literally over the last few weeks, trying to build a coalition of two parties to come together as one, trying to take dramatic, aggressive steps to get ready for a general election that’s unnecessary in its timing,” said Milobar, who finished last in the B.C. Conservative leadership race that was won by Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
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“We are going to be hyper-focused on health care and bringing that innovation and creative solutions into that sector, so people can actually have a health-care system they can rely on, and cancer access they can rely on. We’re going to be hyper focused around crime and safety on our streets to make sure people actually feel safe again.”
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He said he had wanted to go with the “B.C. Party” name, but that wouldn’t have been allowed by Elections B.C. before the byelection in Abbotsford-Mission.
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Ian Paton of Delta South, Bruce Banman of Abbotsford South, Donegal Wilson of Boundary-Similkameen, Teresa Wat of Richmond-Bridgeport, Áʼa꞉líya Warbus of Chilliwack-Cultus Lake and Rosalyn Bird of Prince George-Valemount all left the Conservatives in recent weeks and signed on with Milobar’s group
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Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko, who was kicked out of the Conservatives by former leader John Rustad in September 2025, has also signed on.
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Explaining her reasons for joining on with CentreBC, Sturko said it was because Milobar and his colleagues were talking about the issues that actually matter to British Columbians.
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“When I meet constituents, they’re talking about the economy, they’re talking about affordability, they’re talking about access to timely health care and being safe. Those are things that are important,” said Sturko.
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It is expected that more MLAs could join the party as candidates if there is a snap election, but Milobar was coy about that.
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He said he has been talking to former colleagues in the Conservatives about the possibility of joining his team and critiqued the current state of his former party.
