VANCOUVER — Kerry-Lynne Findlay, leader of the Conservative Party of BC, has named a new leadership team for the party’s caucus as it prepares to challenge the NDP government when the legislature resumes sitting in the fall..The appointments, announced Monday in a statement from Findlay’s office and posted to X, come less than a month after she won the party leadership on the fourth ballot. Many of the MLAs named to the new team backed Findlay during the divisive contest that followed John Rustad’s resignation last year.Chilliwack North MLA Heather Maahs will serve as interim leader of the Official Opposition until Findlay secures a seat in the legislature through a byelection. Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare takes over as Official Opposition House Leader from Á’a:líya Warbus. Lorne Doerksen of Cariboo-Chilcotin was named deputy house leader.Findlay also created regional lieutenant positions to cover different parts of the province. David Williams (Salmon Arm-Shuswap) was named Okanagan and Interior lieutenant, Anna Kindy (North Island) takes the Vancouver Island role, and Ian Paton (Delta South) was appointed Lower Mainland lieutenant. Three MLAs — Lawrence Mok (Maple Ridge East), Steve Kooner (Richmond-Queensborough) and Findlay’s husband, Brent Chapman (Surrey South) — were named stakeholder relations lieutenants.While the team includes several MLAs who publicly supported Findlay’s leadership campaign, she presented the appointments as evidence of a broad coalition. In her statement, Findlay said the new team reflects a “unified force from all parts of B.C.” and described the caucus as “more united than it has ever been.”.“We are building a big tent party where British Columbians from all walks of life who want to restore our prosperity and our freedoms are welcome,” said Findlay in a Monday X post.Findlay's X post further noted she will announce her new Shadow Cabinet in the "coming days."Findlay and the Conservative Caucus are set to gather for their first official caucus meeting in Penticton on July 2 and 3 to prepare for the months ahead.The shape of that shadow cabinet will be closely watched as an early signal of how Findlay intends to balance competing voices within the caucus and the broader direction she sets for the Official Opposition heading into the fall session.
