EDITORIAL – BC Conservative leadership outcome raises new questions for party

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

SHOCKING. That’s the only word to apply to tonight’s (May 30, 2026) outcome in the BC Conservative leadership race.

The first, and maybe the biggest shock, was the drubbing suffered by Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, who finished at the bottom of the five-member slate and was bounced after the first tally with only 10.5 per cent of the vote.

Maybe we just had our hopes up for the local boy. Or maybe we here in the boonies of the province were out of touch with what was going on within the party, because we were under the impression that Milobar stood a good chance of coming out on top and therefore of being the next premier of the province.

He ran what looked like a solid campaign on social media and community campaigning, and various polls showed him in or near first place. Some of the polls commissioned by the candidates were, of course, suspect, but still….

What went wrong will surely be the topic of deep introspection by Milobar and his campaign leaders. Was it the way he came across? Was he outgunned by the corporate and federal Liberal machine or, for that matter, the federal Conservative machine that wanted someone else?

Or, were the other candidates simply a lot better at signing up new members. And, certainly, there are a lot of new BC Conservatives — 42,000 members compared to some 7,000 before the leadership race was launched. Of those, 26,000 were eligible to vote and 24,000 did.

Almost as shocking as Milobar’s defeat was the victory of former Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay. Although she looked to be neck and neck with Milobar and commentator Caroline Elliot, the fact that she topped the poll from the first count through to the final was, to say the least, unexpected. In the end, she barely got over the crucial 50 per cent mark, ending up with 51 compared to Elliot’s 49.

While it made for an interesting race to the wire, the closeness of the result presents a new problem for a party already beset with problems. A clue comes in many of the chat comments that poured in during the party’s live-streaming of the event.

“She sounds awful. Saying nothing,” wrote one during her victory speech.

“Eby has a great sigh of relief,” wrote another.

Some were downright nasty, and ageist. Others, though, were pleased. “This is the person and the message we need,” wrote a supporter.

Maybe. Certainly, her key message in the final weeks of the long campaign was hard to understand. She called it her “Western Alliance vision,” promising to “retool B.C.’s economy by reducing trade barriers, investing in the skilled trades, and building the infrastructure we need to compete and grow.”

So what will the BC Conservatives stand for under Findlay?

In her victory speech tonight she repeated more of the same vague promises, vowing to end “economic vandalism” and create “good paying jobs.” And, of course, there was the pledge to unite the party.

“The Conservative Party of BC will stand together.”

Okay, but when half the voting members didn’t want the person who was chosen as leader, and in the wake of a sometimes bitter leadership race, it’s hard to see how the party will emerge united.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, writes for the Kamloops Chronicle and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.