Bruce Banman has made a significant decision to leave the B.C. Conservative caucus and shift to an Independent position. This move marks him as the sixth member to depart following Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s election as party leader earlier this year. Banman expressed that he received feedback indicating doubts about the electability of the new leader, leading him to make the difficult choice to become an Independent MLA in the B.C. Legislature. He extended an invitation to his fellow MLAs, regardless of their political affiliations, to consider joining him.
The announcement by Banman follows the recent exits of Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox, and Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond-Bridgeport. Additionally, Rosalyn Bird from Prince George-Valemount and Ian Paton from Delta South left the party earlier this week. It is noteworthy that Paton and Milobar have revealed plans to establish a new political party.
The B.C. Conservatives have experienced further challenges with the departure of key personnel, including executive director Angelo Isidorou, president Aisha Estey, and vice-president Sharon White. Moreover, caucus director of operations Apollo Chung was dismissed by Findlay. Reann Gasper, who served as an MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, announced her resignation to allow Findlay to contest in a forthcoming byelection. Gasper has since been appointed as the deputy chief of staff for the party.
Yuri Fulmer, a Vancouver businessman and former leadership candidate for the B.C. Conservatives, criticized the departing MLAs for prioritizing personal interests over the goal of defeating David Eby’s B.C. NDP. Fulmer emphasized that the new leader, Findlay, has had limited time in her role, suggesting that some departing members may have harbored intentions to leave for an extended period.
Internal discord within the Conservative caucus continues to surface as the departure of the sixth MLA within a month unfolds. The ongoing turmoil is exacerbated by allegations that Findlay incentivized party members to step aside for her, as revealed in an audio recording.