Milobar's Independent Move
MLA Peter Milobar Exits BC Conservative Caucus, Sits as Independent Due to Party Direction
Key Points
Milobar was eliminated on the first ballot at the BC Conservative leadership convention on May 30, taking about 10.5% of the vote, and Kerry-Lynne Findlay went on to win the leadership; his departure comes less than three months after Findlay became leader.
The split reflects a broader ideological rift: Milobar, historically seen as centrist, has opposed the party’s rightward shift under Findlay, with tensions linked to Indigenous policy and DRIPA, which he had supported repealing.
During discussion of Indigenous issues, Findlay accused Milobar of past support for DRIPA; Milobar campaigned on repealing DRIPA but argued Indigenous rights would still be constitutionally upheld, illustrating a central policy clash.
Milobar’s background includes nine years as Kamloops mayor, election to the legislature in 2017 as a BC Liberal, and a crossover to the BC Conservatives after the Liberal rebranding, underscoring a long-running political evolution.
The departure is part of a wave of realignments within BC politics following Findlay’s leadership, with other defections such as Amelia Boultbee later joining the NDP caucus, signaling shifting dynamics within the opposition.
Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar has quit the BC Conservative caucus and will sit as an Independent, saying his values no longer align with the party under new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. The Province reported that Milobar stated his values "don't align" with the party's current direction — a split that comes less than three months after Findlay won the leadership.
Milobar is the seventh MLA to leave the BC Conservative caucus since Findlay took over, according to Brantford Expositor. The departure adds to a wave of defections reshaping the BC opposition.
Milobar Lost to Findlay on First Leadership Ballot
Milobar ran against Findlay at the BC Conservative leadership convention on May 30. He was knocked out on the first ballot, taking about 10.5% of the vote. Findlay went on to win. Despite the loss, Findlay kept Milobar on as finance critic after becoming leader.
The two clashed over the party's direction almost immediately. Yahoo News reported the split is part of a broader backlash against Findlay among caucus members. Milobar said he would discuss his political future in the coming days but promised to keep serving his Kamloops riding.
Indigenous Policy Dispute Drove the Rift
A key flashpoint was DRIPA — the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. This is a BC law that aligns the province with Indigenous rights recognized by the United Nations. Milobar campaigned on repealing DRIPA but argued Indigenous rights would still be protected under the constitution.
Findlay accused Milobar of previously supporting DRIPA, turning the policy into a personal clash. The dispute shows a deeper split: Milobar leans centrist, while Findlay has pushed the party to the right. CTV News reported tensions over Indigenous issues as a central cause of his exit.
From Kamloops Mayor to Three-Party Political Journey
Milobar spent nine years as mayor of Kamloops before winning a seat in the BC legislature in 2017. He was first elected as a BC Liberal. When the Liberals rebranded as BC United, he eventually crossed over to the BC Conservatives — making his exit from that party his third major political shift.
Seventh Defection Signals Deeper Fracture in BC Opposition
Milobar's departure is not an isolated event. He is the seventh MLA to leave the BC Conservative caucus since Findlay became leader, according to The Observer. Other defections have pulled the party in different directions, with MLA Amelia Boultbee later joining the NDP caucus.
The wave of exits leaves the BC Conservatives weakened as the official opposition. Each departure shifts the balance of power in the legislature. Brantford Expositor noted the ongoing realignment signals a party struggling to hold together under its new leadership.
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