Bruce Banman made public his decision to leave the B.C. Conservative caucus and shift to an Independent stance, becoming the sixth member to depart following Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s election as party leader earlier this year. Banman, representing Abbotsford South in the legislature, stated that he received feedback indicating concerns about the electability of the new leader. Expressing a heavy heart, he declared his move to join the growing number of Independent MLAs in the B.C. Legislature, urging his colleagues from all political backgrounds to consider doing the same.
This announcement from Banman comes on the heels of the recent exits of Brennan Day from Courtenay-Comox and Teresa Wat from Richmond-Bridgeport. Additionally, Rosalyn Bird from Prince George-Valemount and Ian Paton from Delta South left the party earlier, with intentions to establish a new political entity. Findlay’s leadership has also seen the departure of key personnel, including executive director Angelo Isidorou, president Aisha Estey, vice-president Sharon White, and the dismissal of caucus director of operations Apollo Chung.
In a related development, Reann Gasper, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, has decided to step down from her position to allow Findlay to run in a forthcoming byelection, although the date is pending. Gasper has been appointed as the deputy chief of staff by the party. Yuri Fulmer, a Vancouver entrepreneur who contested against Findlay for leadership, criticized the departing MLAs, suggesting that their actions prioritize personal interests over the party’s objective of challenging the B.C. NDP led by David Eby. Fulmer indicated that those leaving had likely planned their exit well in advance, without giving the new leader a fair chance.
