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VICTORIA — In April, the Canada Strong and Free Network, Canada’s largest conservative networking organization, hosted its first ever Vancouver conference titled “Conservatism’s New Frontier.” Five short months later, we should all be crossing our fingers that the soap opera of B.C. conservative politics is not an amber indicator light for a new frontier for conservatism in Canada.

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At time of writing, Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s B.C. Conservative Party has lost a chilling 10 MLAs. With each passing day, the party seems closer to “dissolving before our eyes.” But perhaps what’s needed is to just throw a bucket of water on the leader to see if she, herself, dissolves upon contact, or if what is needed is a root and branch renewal of what is clearly a dysfunctional political party in the midst of untenable disarray.

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On May 30, 2026, the B.C. Conservatives elected Findlay as their new leader. Following a contentious leadership race filled with name-calling, insults, but also near unanimous agreement amongst the candidates on the issues and the approach needed to address them, many were ready to link arms behind the new leader and hit the ground running, leaving the drama of the previous months in the rearview mirror.

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Sadly, it turns out that the civilizational issues facing this province seem to be what were consigned to the dustbins of history, with backroom intrigue and sensational drama carrying the conversation since the leadership race. Long gone are the promises that the B.C. Conservatives would emerge from this leadership race with a leader guided by conviction over gratuitous histrionics and turmoil.

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After months of trying to persuade various caucus members to resign to make room for her, Findlay has now secured a riding and the by-election will run in Mission-Abbotsford on Sept. 26. With RCMP poking around how MLAs were to asked to step aside, and a Conservative caucus resignation around every bend, it remains to be seen whether Findlay’s tenure has much longevity.

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  1. Geoff Russ: Another mushy centrist B.C. party is how David Eby governs forever
  2. Adam Pankratz: Eby’s byelection call traps Conservatives on sinking ship
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Whether justified or not, when women enter the political sphere we inevitably face a higher level of scrutiny than our male counterparts. We likely all agree that this should not be the case, but denying the reality of this bias does us no favours.

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Throughout the leadership race, Findlay was quick to invoke the words of Margaret Thatcher in debates, with many of her fans referencing her as the “Iron Lady of B.C.” But recent actions call in to question the validity of this comparison.

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The conservative movement, both in Canada and internationally, has had many strong female leaders. Margaret Thatcher is the premium example of how the route for success as a woman is not through a clenched fist, affirmative action, or claiming victimhood, but instead through hard work, perseverance and staying true to strong, conservative principles.