B.C. Conservative interim Leader Lorne Doerkson, left, listens as former CentreBC leader Peter Milobar speaks during a campaign announcement, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

By The Canadian Press

‘Trump-style’ or ‘progressive-ideas’? Both sides rush to redefine B.C. Conservatives

Sep 23, 2026 | 12:42 PM

Both sides of British Columbia politics are racing to redefine the B.C. Conservatives, as the province goes to the polls on Oct. 24 in the wake of Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s divisive leadership of the official Opposition party.

NDP Leader David Eby says the Conservatives are soft on U.S. President Donald Trump, partly justifying the election call on Tuesday as necessary to build a firewall against “Trump-style politics.”

But interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, who was installed on Sunday after Findlay’s resignation, has moved quickly to try to distance his party from Trump, calling him “the bully south of the border” as he addressed media with caucus members after the election call.

Peter Milobar, who rejoined the Conservatives on Tuesday after quitting the party because of Findlay, says he’s returned to a “progressive-ideas, conservative-values” party.

A’a:liya Warbus, one of the few Indigenous legislators in the B.C. legislature, was also among a group of seven CentreBC members who rejoined the Conservatives, saying in a statement that Findlay’s exit is a chance for the party to take a “responsible, progressive-conservative approach.”

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Findlay’s leadership that lasted less than four months saw her try to frame the Conservatives as a party of “faith, family and freedom.”

She mostly avoided interviews with traditional media, instead speaking with conservative influencers, and putting out an AI social media video depicting Eby as a Stalin-like leader waging a “culture war” on B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

‘Trump-style’ or ‘progressive-ideas’? Both sides rush to redefine B.C. Conservatives

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