PENTICTON — Independent MLA Amelia Boultbee is crossing the floor to join the governing New Democratic Party.
Boultbee, who represents Penticton-Summerland, is scheduled to make the announcement at a news conference in Victoria on Friday.
The move would bring the former Conservative MLA, who has sat as an independent since October 2025, into the NDP caucus led by Premier David Eby.
Boultbee was elected in the October 2024 provincial election as the Conservative candidate in Penticton-Summerland. She defeated NDP challenger Tina Lee by 317 votes and became the first woman to represent the riding. She served in the official opposition shadow cabinet as critic for children and family development.
She resigned from the Conservative caucus on October 20, 2025, shortly after fellow MLA Elenore Sturko was removed. Boultbee publicly called on then-leader John Rustad to resign, saying his leadership was “unravelling” and alienating members across the spectrum.
Since sitting as an independent, Boultbee has described herself as a centrist and has been sharply critical of the BC Conservatives’ direction under current leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
In June she said the party was moving “further and further to the right” and engaging in “Trump-style populism.” She has stated she would not seek readmission to the Conservative caucus.
In May, Boultbee voted with the NDP to advance amendments to freedom-of-information legislation. Conservatives accused her and other independents of acting as an “NDP farm team.”
Boultbee, when speaking with the Western Standard, said the decision allows her to work more effectively inside government on behalf of her constituents in Penticton-Summerland without the constraints she faced in opposition or as an independent. She said she anticipates blowback over the decision but also said it's in the best interests of her riding.
Boultbee had foreshadowed the shift days earlier, posting photos on social media alongside NDP MLAs.
Boultbee’s move offers Premier David Eby and the NDP caucus another potential political lifeline at a time when recent polls have shown the party and the premier facing record-low support.
The development follows what Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney described on Thursday as "historic" federal infrastructure announcements that opposition critics have described as “boondoggles,” including the George Massey Tunnel replacement project and other major initiatives that have failed to launch.
Incidentally, Boultbee’s announcement comes as the BC Conservative caucus holds its first official meeting of the year in Penticton-Summerland.
