PENTICTON — The Conservative Party of BC posted Monday that it is welcoming Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford back to caucus, three days after Kerry-Lynne Findlay had the Clerk record him as no longer affiliated.The authorized account wrote at 2:07 p.m. PDT, "The Conservative Party of BC is welcoming back MLA Trevor Halford. All conservatives across BC must stand together against more NDP economic devastation.".It is the same two-sentence template the account used at 12:28 p.m. for Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis and at 1:39 p.m. for Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. McInnis and Rustad had already posted their own acceptances. Halford has not..Findlay resigned as party leader Sunday, effective immediately, and said she would stay on the Abbotsford-Mission byelection ballot. The board appointed Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson interim leader later Sunday after sitting MLAs recommended him. Article 12 of the March 1, 2025 constitution says an interim leader may not be a contestant in the leadership election that follows.The Friday cut was not a resignation of the seat. Findlay posted that Halford, Rustad and Skeena MLA Claire Rattée would "no longer serve as members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia Caucus." The Office of the Clerk recorded the three as unaffiliated after interim Official Opposition leader Heather Maahs sent word. .Halford answered Friday evening that he would have more to say soon, he had proudly served as interim leader "when our party reached new heights," and he proudly serves his constituents. "Let me be clear. I'm not going anywhere. I'm running in Surrey-White Rock.".Sunday evening he thanked Findlay "for her service to our party, province and country" and wrote that Conservatives needed to come together. He did not say he had been invited back, and he did not say he had accepted.The responses to his message were mostly negative. .The Western Standard first reported Thursday that Halford was working the phones for a letter asking Findlay to resign. Rattée later put the public figure at "at least ten" and said she had signed it. As of Monday the letter, and the signatures on it, have not been released.Halford held the combined interim party leadership and Official Opposition job from December 4, 2025 until Findlay's May 30 win. The board had certified Rustad "professionally incapacitated" the day before and named Halford to the vacancy. Maahs has been interim Leader of the Official Opposition since June 29 because Findlay still has no seat. Halford's critic file after the June shuffle was transit and ICBC.On March 26, while he still held the interim title, he had Richmond Centre MLA Hon Chan taken off the Conservative list after Chan was charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats. Chan still sits as an Independent. Friday, Halford was on the receiving end of the same Clerk instruction.McInnis accepted Doerkson's invitation Monday morning. He is the first of the nine sitting Conservatives who walked out on Findlay between August 14 and September 2 to come back. Rustad accepted the same invitation Monday afternoon after speaking with reporters in Victoria. He is not in that walkout class. Findlay had him struck from the list Friday..Rattée has not drawn a matching party welcome. She said Sunday she will run Conservative in the next general election and that "no part of the conservative movement can be excluded from that work."The Legislative Assembly list stood at 25 Conservatives on Friday, not counting vacant Abbotsford-Mission. Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner told CBC Sunday she had resigned from caucus. The Clerk had not posted a refreshed count before the party's Halford post. A recorded return for McInnis, Rustad and Halford would each add one sitting Conservative. Findlay still has no seat.Halford first won Surrey-White Rock in 2020 as a BC Liberal. On October 19, 2024 he took 14,667 votes, 52.31%, to NDP candidate Darryl Walker's 12,698, 45.29%. The margin was 1,969 votes.Advance polls in Abbotsford-Mission run through Wednesday. Final voting day is Saturday unless a general writ drops and cancels the contest under Election Act s. 24(2). Premier David Eby has not issued one.
