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

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

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.

“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.

“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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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.

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.

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

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

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.

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