Third party could hurt Conservative Findlay’s chances in B.C. byelection: expert

Bruce Banman, a former Conservative MLA, has left the B.C. Conservatives and urged others to join him in becoming an Independent MLA, expressing concerns about the party's leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay. Banman, who represents Abbotsford South, is the sixth Conservative MLA to defect this month under Findlay's leadership. Many have told Banman that Findlay is "unelectable," and a win by Premier David Eby's NDP is becoming increasingly likely.

The Conservatives have already lost several MLAs, including Teresa Wat, Bennan Day, Rosalyn Bird, and Ian Paton, dropping their seat count from 44 to 31. The political tent needed to defeat the NDP seems to be getting smaller, not larger. If a third-party option emerges, it could pull votes away from Findlay and affect her chances of winning the upcoming byelection.