The B.C. Conservative Party is, metaphorically, on a shifting sandbar in the Pacific Ocean.
asserted
Party → shift → Ocean
By the time these words about the currently unfolding drama are published, they may already be out of date.
uncertain
they → unfold → date
Nine MLAs have quit since Kerry-Lynne Findlay won leadership of the party in May.
uncertain
Findlay → quit → May
Numerous party staffers also quit.
asserted
staffers → quit → ?
Friday, Findlay booted three more: former party leader John Rustad, former interim leader Trevor Halford and Skeena MLA Claire Rattée.
asserted
Findlay → boot → three
Rustad and Rattée were reportedly among a group of 10 MLAs who unsuccessfully demanded Findlay’s resignation this week.
uncertain
who → demand → resignation
Rattée has since posted on X that she has no intention of leaving the party:
asserted
she → post → party
“I was elected as a BC Conservative MLA and that’s not going to change.
asserted
that → elect → MLA
I’m not going anywhere,” reads part of her statement.
asserted
part → go → statement
“Ms. Findlay… does not have the authority to remove any member of our caucus,” because Findlay is not an elected MLA herself.
asserted
Findlay → have → caucus
Hours later, Findlay made her own announcement on X: “Effective immediately, Trevor Halford, Claire Rattée, and John Rustad will no longer serve as members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia Caucus…
asserted
Halford → make → Caucus
Our caucus and grassroots are ready, and we’re building a strong team of candidates.
asserted
we → build → candidates
If your priority is building the movement, and supporting the Conservative Party of B.C., you are welcome,” she posted.
asserted
she → build → B.C.
Rattée then reposted her own statement on her refusal to leave the party as a comment on Findlay’s announcement.
asserted
Rattée → reposte → announcement
Before this latest political drama, Findlay also hired, then fired, Elaine Allan as executive director, and it has since emerged that Allan had paid a private investigator to follow current and former MLAs (including Rattée) and staffers, journalist Rob Shaw and even Lululemon founder Chip Wilson.
asserted
Allan → hire → Rattée
Findlay claims she didn’t know about the private investigator, which is nearly as bad as if she had known.
uncertain
she → claim → investigator
Similarly, Findlay hired and then fired Apollo Chung (formerly of the separatist Alberta Republican Party) as caucus operations director this summer.
asserted
Findlay → hire → director
He was let go after a recording leaked of an unidentified staffer claiming he would “steal everything” in reference to party funds.
asserted
he → let → funds
Findlay provided no public reason for firing Chung.
asserted
Findlay → provide → Chung
Accusations — some vague and unproven — are emerging from two sides: there’s a camp arguing that the party is being intentionally demolished from within, by “faux” Conservatives who simply won’t allow Findlay to lead and are unhappy that she won the party leadership; and another camp is arguing that Findlay, who has yet to win a seat in a by-election, simply doesn’t have what it takes to unite her party and do her job.
asserted
it → emerge → job
The never-ending turmoil, to both camps, is considered proof positive of their respective positions.
asserted
turmoil → end → positions
Findlay’s own words, after booting Rustad, Halford, and Rattée, echo the vague argument made by her “grassroots” supporters: her talk about “power struggles” and “vanity projects” come across as passive aggressive, and light on the facts.
asserted
talk → boot → facts
Can we, the voters, please have some more details?
asserted
we → have → details
Findlay needs to get on the airwaves to defend the disarray and tell the public exactly what is going on behind closed doors.
asserted
what → need → doors
Otherwise, she risks losing all support outside of her immediate, unflinching base.
asserted
she → risk → base
That she has chosen to stay largely mum on so much of the in-house controversy does not lend to her credibility as party leader.
asserted
chosen → choose → leader
She cannot win an election — and possibly even a seat — by whipping her online and grassroots supporters into a frothing rage against fleeing or fired MLAs.
uncertain
She → win → MLAs
Transparency matters more than social media battles.
asserted
Transparency → matter → battles
The macro view of Findlay’s leadership, which exists outside of online discourse, is looking terrible.
asserted
which → exist → discourse
When Findlay won the leadership race in May, I argued she’d be the antidote to the David Eby NDP’s extremism.
uncertain
she → win → extremism
For months, I remained sympathetic to the notion that Findlay’s opportunity to demonstrate her leadership was being unfairly thwarted.
asserted
opportunity → remain → leadership
My sympathy has run dry.
asserted
sympathy → run → ?
By all appearances, Findlay is happily shrinking the Conservative tent to an unelectable size.
asserted
Findlay → shrink → size
Whether one wants to admit it or not, B.C.’s conservative movement will never win without a big tent.
asserted
movement → want → tent
It is infuriating to see the movement fall apart at a time when Premier Eby’s NDP holds a disastrous chokehold over this province’s economy and institutions.
asserted
NDP → see → economy
The Aporia
