EDITORIAL – Is it really a surprise that Milobar has quit the Conservatives?

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

SO PETER MILOBAR, ex-BC Liberal, ex-BC United, is now an ex-BC Conservative and a newly independent MLA.

He announced today (Aug. 14, 2026) that his departure from the Conservatives is in immediate effect and that he will have more to say about it later. But, clearly, he just couldn’t see himself fitting in with the right-leaning regime of Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who crushed him in the leadership race a few weeks ago.

His values don’t align with those of Findlay, he now says.

“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.

“It has, however, become clear to me over the last few months that my values don’t align with this new direction.”

He and Findlay clashed during the leadership campaign, notably in a television debate when she suggested he had a conflict of interest on indigenous issues due to family relationships.

Up until today, Milobar had served as finance critic in Findlay’s shadow cabinet. He says he’ll continue to serve as the MLA for Kamloops Centre riding.

On the surface, at least, he leaves the Conservatives on good terms. Findlay issued a statement this afternoon saying so:

“I spoke with MLA Peter Milobar this morning when he reached out to share his decision to sit as an Independent. I sincerely thank him for his many years of service to British Columbia and his excellent work as the Conservative Party of BC’s Shadow Minister for Finance. Peter has been a valued member of our team and I wish him nothing but the best in his future advocacy.”

Should it be any surprise that Milobar has joined the continuing exodus of MLAs from the ranks of the Conservatives? Initially regarded as a leading contender for the party leadership, he finished a dismal last.

More than that, however, the Conservative mantle has never looked good on him. As a BC Liberal/ BC United MLA, he was a staunch critic of Conservative policies. His jump to the Conservatives when BC United imploded seemed opportunistic at the time, though he did his best with his mid-stream change of horses.

His sudden move to abandon his latest party brings forth some interesting questions. When he ran for leader, several sitting MLAs endorsed him. Will at least some of them follow him out the door?

Will Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer, who supported Milobar for leader, follow him out of the Conservative caucus?

Will Milobar, and perhaps some others, find a new home in the recently formed CentreBC party, now led by former BC Liberal cabinet minister Mike Bernier. CentreBC, after all, bills itself as a compromise between the NDP on the left and the BC Conservatives on the right.

Or, will Milobar find himself in the political wilderness and near the end of his political career — MLAs who sit as Independents traditionally don’t hang on for very long.

And, will Peter Milobar’s dramatic decision today prove to be the unraveling of the Conservatives and an end to their dreams of overtaking the NDP?

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.