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New B.C. Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay has lost another member of her caucus, with Delta South MLA Ian Paton stepping down Monday to sit as an Independent.
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Paton addressed the reasons for his resignation in front of the legislature alongside Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, who announced his own exit from the B.C. Conservatives less than two weeks ago.
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He said that he didn’t agree with the direction Findlay was taking the party, including her wholesale firing of caucus and party staff, as well as the party’s posting of an AI-generated video depicting Premier David Eby as a totalitarian dictator.
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“In 2024, I joined the B.C. Conservatives with the belief that it would become a broad coalition for British Columbians who wanted responsible, common-sense government. What united us was a broad belief in responsible government, private enterprise, fiscal discipline and building a strong economy,” said Paton.
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“It has become clear to me that the new direction of the Conservative Party of B.C. under the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay is no longer aligned with my beliefs. I was elected to represent Delta South in Victoria. I was not elected to simply represent a political party in Delta South.”
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He said that he and Milobar will be forming a new party in the coming months to provide another alternative to the NDP.
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Despite coming within 22 votes of forming government in the last provincial election, the Conservatives have been mired in internal turmoil over the past two years that has resulted in the resignation or ejection of eight MLAs and the resignation of its previous leader, John Rustad.
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Two of those eight exits have taken place under Findlay, who took over as party leader at the end of May. The former federal cabinet minister has also faced controversy for insinuating Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat is a member of the Chinese Communist Party in a private group chat.
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Paton has served as an MLA since 2017, first under the B.C. Liberals and then under B.C. United, before joining the Conservatives after United suspended its campaign in the lead-up to the 2024 provincial election.
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Before becoming a provincial official, he spent seven years serving on Delta city council. He is a third-generation farmer and lives on his family’s farm in Ladner.
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Monday’s news comes two days after the party announced that Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper is stepping down to allow Findlay to run in a byelection to get a seat in the house.
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Paton was one of three MLAs to publicly confirm they had rejected overtures from Findlay to step down so she could run in their place. West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Lynne Block and Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird were the other two.
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He also stepped down as Findlay’s Lower Mainland lieutenant at the end of July, citing his workload as an MLA and farmer, as well as a lack of understanding of the responsibilities of the position.
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More to come …
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