ÁʼA:líya Warbus 7th MLA to Quit BC Conservative Caucus in August

Chilliwack-Cultus Lake Conservative candidate A'aliya Warbus laughs while speaking at a campaign office in Chilliwack B.C., on October 17, 2024. The Canadian Press/Ethan Cairns

Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Á'a:líya Warbus has announced her departure from the B.C. Conservative Party to sit as an Independent, making her the seventh MLA to leave the party in the past three weeks.

Warbus said in an Aug. 31 social media post she is “disappointed” to leave the caucus, citing a “critical breakdown in communication” between the party’s leadership, MLAs, staff, and the public, since Kerry-Lynne Findlay was named  leader in May.

“As an MLA I am sworn to this office to represent my constituents, and the issues that they’ve repeatedly told me — matter to them. I have lost confidence I can do that from within this caucus, under this leadership,” Warbus wrote in an Aug. 31 statement.

The B.C. Conservatives have faced internal turmoil over the past two years, leading to the resignation or expulsion of 12 MLAs—Warbus makes 13—and the resignation of previous leader John Rustad in December 2025.

Warbus, who was elected during the November 2024 provincial election, said that after “an implosion of events” last week that saw five B.C. Conservative MLAs resign to sit as Independents, the party leadership called a caucus meeting for Aug. 31 to address the situation due to a “reasonable cause for concern.” That meeting has since been cancelled.

“The decision to postpone today’s caucus meeting for a month reflects the lack of value being placed on caucus members and their opinions,” she said. “It is one thing to ask for people’s trust, and quite another to blindfold someone and expect faith alone to substitute for transparency and accountability.”

Warbus said the meeting was expected to address several issues, including the departures of the MLAs and the circumstances surrounding MLA Reann Gaspar’s Aug. 22 resignation. It was also expected to hear statements from departing MLAs Ian Paton and Rosalyn Bird.

The six MLAs who have quit since Aug. 14 include Bruce Banman, Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, and Peter Milobar, as well as Bird and Paton. While Gaspar resigned as an MLA, she remains Findlay’s deputy chief of staff.

Neither Findlay nor the party has publicly responded to Warbus leaving the Conservatives. Findlay said in an Aug. 25 statement the party would begin accepting nominations to fill the recent MLA vacancies. She noted that the party was “already attracting strong, capable nominees who share our commitment and love their communities.”

“Recent resignations from our caucus are a matter of public record. Our Party’s path is clear and unwavering: we will deliver hope, opportunity, and lasting prosperity to all British Columbians,” Findlay added.

Warbus’ resignation comes as the party prepares for an important byelection in the Abbotsford-Mission constituency in September. This riding belonged to Gaspar, who agreed to step down so Findlay, who became party leader in May, could seek a seat in the legislature.