British Columbia Premier David Eby says he won’t court B.C. Conservative defectors to join the NDP, after nine legislators left the official Opposition caucus in the past three weeks. Eby says there’s a “fairly significant gap” between the positions of his party and the defectors from Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s caucus. He says these range from Canada’s relationship with the United States and the Trump administration to positions on First Nations and the importance of the Human Rights Act. In July, Independent MLA Amelia Boultbee joined the NDP more than eight months after she left the Conservative caucus, but Eby says her values align with the NDP that got to know her over time. Findlay’s caucus numbers have been in freefall since mid-August, with Scott McInnis and Donegal Wilson the most recent to quit on Wednesday, both citing ethical concerns and Findlay’s reported connections to Alberta separatists. Findlay narrowly won the Conservative leadership in May and is running in a byelection later this month hoping to gain a seat in the legislature representing the Abbotsford-Mission riding. The NDP will be represented on the ballot by former agriculture minister Pam Alexis who lost the seat in the 2024 provincial election. This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published Sept. 3, 2026
