Gasper Steps Aside for Party Leader
Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper, who also served as the B.C. Conservatives’ deputy whip, announced on Saturday that she is resigning her seat in the legislature. The decision opens a path for party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek a seat through a byelection in the Fraser Valley riding. Gasper said she made the choice with the future of British Columbia in mind and expressed confidence in Findlay’s leadership and ability to represent the riding, the party and the province.
In a statement reported by The Province, Gasper framed the move in strategic terms: “Ultimately, we have a bigger objective: We need to defeat the NDP and form government... That requires us to make decisions that put the strength of our team and our ability to win first. I believe this is one of those decisions.” Findlay thanked Gasper for her service as MLA and deputy whip, describing the resignation as a thoughtful decision that puts the interests of the party, the province and their shared goal of forming government first. Both women said Gasper will continue to work closely with Findlay and the B.C. Conservative Party in the months ahead.
The Globe and Mail reported that Findlay was elected party leader in May with 51 per cent of the vote, entering the role without a seat in the B.C. legislature. Vancouver Is Awesome reported that the party executive has since acclaimed Findlay as the candidate for Abbotsford-Mission. Findlay said her priority is to earn the trust of the people of the riding. She has called on Premier David Eby to call a byelection sooner rather than later.
Byelection Timeline and Riding History
Premier David Eby has six months to call the byelection. Once called, the campaign period lasts 28 days, with the final count occurring at least four days after election day, according to The Province. In the 2024 provincial election, Gasper won Abbotsford-Mission with 55 per cent of the vote, defeating NDP candidate Pam Alexis by approximately 2,500 votes. The riding was held by the provincial Liberal party from 2009 to 2020, by the NDP from 2020 to 2024, and by Gasper for the Conservatives since then.
Findlay told reporters that Gasper was offered the position of deputy chief of staff on Sunday, though her salary has not yet been decided. The B.C. Conservatives have indicated Gasper will remain involved in efforts aimed at defeating the NDP government.
Internal Party Changes and Departures
Findlay’s leadership has coincided with significant turnover. The Globe and Mail noted that since May she has seen off the party’s executive director, other senior party and caucus staff, and former leadership rival Peter Milobar, who left to sit as an Independent. Vancouver Is Awesome reported that Findlay had previously asked three party MLAs to step aside, including Delta MLA Ian Paton, who resigned from the party on Monday. Findlay denied Paton’s claim that the party offered him a caucus position in exchange for resigning his seat.
Two hours after Findlay’s news conference on Tuesday, Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird resigned to sit as an Independent. That departure left the party with 34 MLAs, down from 44 at the time of the 2024 election. Bird had also been asked to resign her seat for Findlay in late June and was left off Findlay’s new caucus leadership team. Paton joined several other MLAs who have left to sit as Independents, including two removed since the 2024 election due to assault charges.
Randy Hawes, president of the Abbotsford-Mission riding association, announced his own resignation on Facebook after Gasper’s departure, citing what he described as Findlay’s “huge step to the far right.” Findlay has said there may be others who leave the caucus, adding that those who depart do not share the vision of prosperity and hope the party is presenting. She noted that the party has not changed its platform or any policy since the election. On June 9 the party had described itself as “the most effective opposition caucus in provincial history,” citing four private members’ bills, including one sponsored by Bird on Veterans and First Responders Month. Paton and Bird both cited a need for the party to focus on economic fundamentals in explaining their decisions.
Exchange Over Trade and Legislature Timing
At her news conference, Findlay criticized Eby for not attending Prime Minister Mark Carney’s briefing after the collapse of trade negotiations and said different information was being heard from Canada than from the United States. She expressed support for fossil fuel pipelines from Alberta to the North Coast and alluded to the need for refineries. Findlay also asked Eby to reconvene the legislature early for a trade debate.
Eby responded while speaking at a BC Liquor store, an appearance that underscored the province’s ban on U.S. alcohol sales. He said he was pleased with the tariff-to-tariff response and aid package but preferred additional non-tariff measures such as not purchasing U.S. fighter jets and banning U.S. thermal coal exports. Eby reported progress on the softwood file and remarked that any agreement with “this president” would not last longer than the time required to write a signature. He said the legislature would reconvene in October and did not respond to questions about the timing of a byelection. Characterizing the situation in the opposition, Eby said: “It’s mess after a mess on their side of things; it’s chaos central.”
Perspectives
Gasper and Findlay present the resignation as a deliberate team decision that strengthens the B.C. Conservatives’ ability to defeat the NDP and form government, with Gasper remaining engaged in party work. Departing MLAs Ian Paton and Rosalyn Bird, along with riding association president Randy Hawes, have pointed to concerns over party direction, including a perceived shift and insufficient focus on economic fundamentals. Premier David Eby has described the opposition’s internal situation as repeated messes and “chaos central,” while declining to commit to an early byelection or early recall of the legislature.