B.C. Conservatives face mounting questions about party’s future as more MLAs walk away

The B.C. Conservatives are facing growing questions about the future of the party and the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

This summer, the party has been marked by a string of MLA departures and allegations of turmoil behind the scenes.

The latest blow came this week, when Richmond-Delta MLA Ian Paton announced he was leaving the Conservative caucus to sit as an independent.

Paton is now the sixth Conservative MLA to step away from the party in recent months.

The departures have transformed what might have once been viewed as isolated disagreements into a broader political crisis for B.C.’s official opposition.

Now, the pressure is increasingly focused on Findlay.

Paton has called Findlay “unelectable” and alleged that her team offered some MLAs jobs and salaries comparable to their MLA pay if they agreed to step aside and make room for Findlay to run in a byelection.

Those allegations have added another layer to an already turbulent summer for the opposition party.

Political commentator and TV Host of This Is Vancolour Mo Amir described the current state of B.C. politics as “an absolute carnival,” saying the level of turmoil cannot be understated.

Amir says the upcoming Abbotsford-Mission byelection could be a ultimatum test on Findlay’s leadership.

“If she (Findlay) doesn’t win that riding, it’s a pretty big blow of confidence to her leadership overall,” said Amir.

“I think she is going to have to make the case to caucus [saying] that listen, we are in it together, maybe there were some disagreements and some mistakes done on a managerial level at the start but at the end of the day it only works as a team sport.”

The Conservatives are also dealing with questions surrounding internal communications, alleged leaks and recordings of staff conversations.

Political expert and professor David Black says Findlay’s political approach could present a larger challenge than the internal turmoil.

“What we’ve seen is someone who seems to be kind of on a personal political crusade, really giving herself over to these cultural populist positions that the B.C. Conservative base, which tilts conservative, may well love, but the median B.C. voter is not going to like,” Black said.

The B.C. Conservative caucus is scheduled to host a news conference Monday afternoon.

Kerry-Lynne Findlay is running in the upcoming Abbotsford-Mission by-election with the final voting day scheduled for Sept. 26.