Peter Milobar leaves B.C. Conservatives, cites clash with leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay

BC Conservative MLA Peter Milobar at the legislature in Victoria in May. Photo by Chad Hipolito /POSTMEDIA

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The B.C. Conservatives lost another MLA with Peter Milobar leaving the caucus on Friday.

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In a statement, Milobar said it has become clear over the last few months that his values don’t align with new party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who won the party’s leadership race at the end of May.

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“I completely respect the vote of the membership, and that Kerry-Lynne Findlay has earned the right as leader to shape the party as she sees fit,” said Milobar, the MLA for Kamloops Centre.

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“It has, however, become clear to me over the last few months that my values don’t align with this new direction. With that in mind, effective immediately, I will be sitting as an Independent member of the B.C. Legislature.”

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Calls Friday to Milobar were not answered.

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A candidate in the recent leadership race, Milobar clashed with Findlay because his wife is Indigenous and works for the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Findlay said it would represent a conflict of interest for the longtime MLA if he won the leadership.

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Milobar finished in last place, receiving 11.4 per cent of the votes, while Findlay won on the fourth ballot, narrowly beating out political commentator and academic Caroline Elliott.

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Findlay and Milobar indicated they could work together, with Findlay keeping Milobar as finance critic.

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A former mayor of Kamloops from 2008 to 2017, Milobar was first elected under the B.C. Liberal banner in the 2017 election.

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Milobar is the seventh MLA to either resign or be kicked out of the Conservative caucus since the 2024 provincial election, joining Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko, Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie, Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong, Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy, Richmond Centre MLA Hon Chan and Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee.

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Brodie was ejected by former leader John Rustad in March 2025 after comments about residential school survivors, with Armstrong and Kealy resigning in solidarity.

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Sturko was kicked out of caucus by Rustad last September over criticism of his leadership, with Boultbee resigning shortly after in October.

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Chan was removed by interim leader Trevor Halford in March 2026 after he was charged with assault, choking and uttering threats in a domestic violence incident. The allegations have not been proven in court.

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Neither Findlay’s chief of staff Chris Delaney nor caucus communications director Cosmin Dzsurdzsa responded immediately to a request for comment.

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