Findlay calls nine walkouts 'growing pains,' names a 28-MLA shadow cabinet

PENTICTON — Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay published a new shadow cabinet Wednesday morning, two and a half weeks after the last of nine sitting MLAs walked out of her caucus and one day after she told CTV the departures were "growing pains.".A release, issued from Victoria, assigns critic roles to every sitting Conservative named on the page — 28 MLAs — plus Findlay herself, who still has no seat. Abbotsford-Mission votes September 26. The legislature returns October 5."This is a talented, determined group of people, and we are ready for the big job ahead of us," Findlay said in the release. "I'm excited to work alongside each of them and see what we can accomplish for British Columbians. We have a great team, and I'm looking forward to delivering results."The list is notably thinner than the one she issued June 30, the day after Heather Maahs became interim Leader of the Official Opposition. Nine colleagues have left since August 14: Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, Bruce Banman, Á’a:líya Warbus, Donegal Wilson and Scott McInnis. Each cited Findlay's leadership. Reann Gasper vacated Abbotsford-Mission August 22 so Findlay could run.On Tuesday's CTV PowerPlay, host Vassy Kapelos pressed Findlay on those nine exits. Findlay called them the sort of growing pains that come with a newer party and said some former colleagues "simply did not accept the will" of members who elected her with 51% of the May leadership count."We have a grassroots movement backed by the people who elected these MLAs telling me, 'Stay with us, you speak for us, we believe in you,'" she told Kapelos. "These are the things that matter to the people of British Columbia, that is our focus.".The Wednesday jobs show what the walkouts cost. Several MLAs who stayed now juggle multiple files — with at least two files going unassigned altogether.Maahs remains interim Leader of the Official Opposition and critic for childcare and early childhood education. She also takes agriculture, the file Paton held until August 24. Gavin Dew, who picked up finance after Milobar left August 14, keeps that chair. Kiel Giddens moves from labour to Dew's old economic-development file. Linda Hepner, who had environment and parks, takes labour. Harman Bhangu keeps transportation and adds tourism.Misty Van Popta is deputy whip — Gasper's old parliamentary post — and shadow minister for housing and infrastructure, combining Warbus's housing critic role with her own infrastructure file. Kristina Loewen keeps prosperity and social development and adds children and family development, the other half of Gasper's June 30 pairing. Korky Neufeld keeps post-secondary education and international credentials and becomes caucus policy-development lead, the extra job McInnis was given in the August 24 shuffle. Ward Stamer's forestry critic role now reads forestry, environment and parks. Dr. Anna Kindy is shadow minister for health and seniors, folding in the seniors half of Day's old rural-health title. David Williams adds lands to BC Hydro and electrical energy development..Many pieces remain in the same place they were before. Lynne Block stays on education. Claire Rattée stays on mental health, addictions and social housing. John Rustad, the former leader, keeps Treasury Board. Sheldon Clare remains Official Opposition House Leader. Macklin McCall remains whip. Jody Toor remains caucus chair and government-services critic. Sharon Hartwell keeps rural infrastructure and development and her seat as caucus representative to the party board. Lorne Doerkson is listed only as deputy speaker. The June 30 release had also called him deputy house leader and assistant deputy speaker.Steve Kooner stays on attorney general. Bryan Tepper stays on solicitor general and emergency response. Larry Neufeld stays on energy. Trevor Halford stays on transit and ICBC. Pete Davis stays on mining and critical minerals. Tony Luck stays on municipal affairs. Lawrence Mok stays on trade and skills training. Brent Chapman stays on arts, culture and AI. Mandeep Dhaliwal stays on parental rights and sports. Findlay keeps the land and property jurisdiction for herself.Gone with the nine, and not rebuilt under a new title, are Bird's community-safety critic role, McInnis's indigenous relations posting, and Wat's multiculturalism and community-partnerships file..The Conservatives won 44 seats on October 19, 2024, coming within only a few seats of forming government. Five sitting members either left or were ousted under John Rustad in 2025, more than a year before Findlay became the new Party Leader. Richmond Centre MLA Hon Chan was removed separately from caucus March 26 in relation to choking and assault criminal charges.The nine Findlay-era walkouts maintain their seats outside caucus. Five of them — Milobar, Paton, Bird, Banman and Warbus — have said they intend to sit as a new party with official third-party status when the House returns..Findlay told CTV she has had no contact with the RCMP over allegations that then-chief of staff Chris Delaney offered Paton a paid agriculture-adviser post if he vacated Delta South. Paton has said officers were scheduled to interview him September 2. Delaney resigned that afternoon. Findlay named Gasper chief of staff the same day.The vacancy Findlay is campaigning in is the one Gasper opened August 22. The then-MLA posted that she was stepping down so the leader could seek the nomination in Abbotsford-Mission. "This is my decision. No one asked me to make it," she wrote. "I believe in Kerry-Lynne.".Gasper told the Speaker the same day. Findlay was acclaimed the Conservative candidate August 25. Premier David Eby dropped the writ August 29.Advance polls in Abbotsford-Mission open September 18. Final voting day is September 26. If Findlay wins, Maahs keeps the parliamentary Leader of the Official Opposition title only until the House deals with the new member. The first test of this list on the floor is October 5.

Findlay calls nine walkouts 'growing pains,' names a 28-MLA shadow cabinet

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