Delta South MLA Ian Paton is leaving the B.C. Conservatives to sit as an Independent and intends to form a new political party with a fellow former Conservative.
Paton departs Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s caucus soon after Kamloops Centre MLA and former finance critic Peter Milobar announced on Aug. 14 he would sit as an Independent.
“In 2024 I joined the BC Conservatives with the belief that it would become a broad coalition for British Columbians who wanted responsible, common-sense government,” said Paton in a statement. “What united us was a broad belief in responsible government, private enterprise, fiscal discipline and building a strong economy.”
“It has become clear to me that the new direction of the Conservative Party of BC under the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay is no longer aligned with my beliefs. I was elected to represent Delta South in Victoria. I was not elected to simply represent a political party in Delta South,” he said.
Paton, who served as agriculture critic, said he will be sitting as an Independent for now, alongside Milobar.
They said they intend to form a new centre-right party in the B.C. legislature.
Paton and Milobar spoke to reporters outside the B.C. legislature on Monday morning, Aug. 24.
Paton said things within the party “really changed” since Findlay was elected leader on May 30 and began her shake-up of the party’s leadership and staff.
“It’s a different feel in our caucus room compared to what it was in our spring session,” said Paton, who was elected as a B.C. Liberal in 2017. He remained with that party after its rebranding to B.C. United, but joined the Conservatives after B.C. United’s election campaign folded in 2024.
“I always felt a little bit awkward about sitting there and people going, ‘that guy and that guy and that lady there used to be part of B.C. United,’ and it was a bit uncomfortable,” said Paton.
Findlay said in a social media post she was “disappointed” by Paton’s decision, but thanked him for his contributions to the caucus and his service to British Columbians.
“The Conservative Party of BC remains firm and steadfast in our mission to defeat the NDP and restore prosperity, opportunity and accountability to British Columbia. There is important work ahead, and we will remain focused on delivering the change British Columbians deserve,” said Findlay.
There are now seven MLAs sitting as Independents, all former B.C. Conservatives who have either left or been removed from the caucus over the last year and a half. Paton and Milobar are the only members to have left since Findlay was elected leader.
They said they are aiming to sit in the legislature this fall as a new political party registered with Elections BC and hope that other MLAs might choose to join them.
With Paton and Milobar’s membership, any new party would meet the two-seat threshold for official party status, giving them the same privileges as other recognized parties in the legislature.
Milobar said they are not interested in joining the CentreBC party.
“It became clear in conversations with other caucus members as they reached out to me over the last week that they would prefer, if they are ultimately going to make the same decision Ian and myself have made, that they would prefer something new be created and try to, as best as possible, create that new energy for the public to get behind,” said Milobar.
Milobar and Paton said they do not yet have a name for their party, but they are aiming to be a party for B.C. voters who feel “politically homeless” right now.
“Back in 2017, when Peter and I first ran, 797,000 people voted for a centrist party back then,” said Paton. “And I keep asking myself, where are they now? We need those people to come back.”
The fall session of the B.C. legislature is scheduled to begin Oct. 5.
