By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
September 11, 2026
British Columbia’s political landscape has been reshaped again after Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat announced that she has joined a new political party being formed by former B.C. Conservative legislators.
Wat becomes the sixth member of the still-unnamed party, which is being co-founded by former B.C. Conservative leadership candidate and Opposition finance critic Peter Milobar.
The development marks another major setback for the B.C. Conservatives, who have lost a number of legislators in recent weeks amid growing internal divisions under party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
Wat had previously left the Conservative caucus and sat as an Independent. She now says she has chosen to join Milobar’s emerging party because she believes it can bring people together and offer a stronger challenge to the governing New Democratic Party.
Wat says new party can unite voters
In announcing her decision, Wat said she believes the new political organization has the potential to bring together British Columbians who want an alternative to the current political establishment.
She also pointed to the possibility of defeating Premier David Eby’s NDP government at the next election.
The decision means Wat will no longer sit as an Independent and instead becomes part of an emerging political force that is attempting to establish itself on the centre-right of British Columbia politics.
The new party has not yet announced its official name.
From Conservative MLA to Independent and now a new party
Wat’s political journey has made her one of the more notable figures in the recent upheaval within the B.C. Conservative caucus.
She originally entered the provincial legislature as a member of the BC Liberal Party and represented Richmond-Bridgeport and its predecessor riding for more than a decade.
In July 2024, she crossed the floor and joined the B.C. Conservatives.
Her relationship with the party deteriorated following the Conservative leadership contest that eventually resulted in Kerry-Lynne Findlay becoming leader.
Wat announced in August that she was leaving the Conservative caucus, citing what she described as serious and unfounded accusations made against her during the leadership race.
She said Findlay had accused her of having links to the Chinese Communist Party, allegations Wat rejected.
Wat also said she was dissatisfied with how the matter was handled and claimed the party leader had not adequately apologized.
Findlay, however, said she had apologized directly to Wat and had also prepared a public statement addressing her concerns.
A growing Conservative exodus
Wat’s decision comes after an unusually turbulent period for the B.C. Conservatives.
Peter Milobar was the first of the recent group to leave the Conservative caucus, announcing his departure in August and citing a lack of ideological alignment with the direction of the party under Findlay.
Ian Paton followed shortly afterwards.
The two subsequently announced plans to establish a new political party.
Rosalyn Bird and Bruce Banman were among the other Conservative legislators who left the caucus, while Brennan Day and Wat also departed.
Several of the departing MLAs initially chose to sit as Independents, but the emerging party has now attracted six legislators.
According to The Canadian Press, the group has grown from two founding members to six, with Rosalyn Bird, Bruce Banman and A’a Warbus joining Milobar and Paton before Wat’s arrival.
The new party will become the third-largest caucus
Wat’s arrival gives the new party an important position in the legislature.
Milobar, who is serving as interim leader, said her decision demonstrates that there is growing momentum behind the new political organization.
When the legislature resumes in October, the party is expected to have the third-largest caucus, behind the governing NDP and the B.C. Conservatives.
That could give the group greater visibility and influence in the legislature, even though it remains considerably smaller than the two largest caucuses.
It also creates another challenge for the Conservatives, whose 2024 election breakthrough had positioned them as the principal opposition party in British Columbia.
Conservatives won 44 seats in 2024
The scale of the current political shake-up becomes clearer when compared with the 2024 provincial election.
The B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats in that election, coming within three seats of an outright majority and emerging as the province’s official Opposition.
But the party has since experienced significant internal turmoil.
The leadership transition following John Rustad’s departure was followed by disagreements over the direction of the party and the leadership of Findlay.
The departures have significantly reduced the size of the Conservative caucus.
Findlay faces another political test
The growing breakaway movement also comes at a sensitive time for Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
Findlay currently does not hold a seat in the legislature.
Reann Gasper has stepped down from her Abbotsford-Mission seat to allow Findlay to contest a byelection scheduled for September 26.
The emergence of another centre-right political force could make that contest more complicated.
A strong new party could potentially attract voters who traditionally support conservative candidates but are dissatisfied with the current leadership.
Political analysts have already warned that a credible third-party alternative could affect the Conservative vote and potentially make it more difficult for Findlay to secure a return to the legislature.
The battle for the centre-right
The developments in British Columbia point to a broader question facing voters on the political right: whether the province’s conservative and centre-right movement can remain united.
The B.C. Conservatives have already faced competition from OneBC, which emerged after former Conservative MLAs Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong broke away from the party.
CentreBC has also positioned itself as another alternative for voters seeking a different political direction.
The arrival of Milobar’s new party therefore adds another player to an increasingly crowded political field.
Its immediate challenge will be convincing voters that it can offer something different while avoiding the internal divisions that have weakened other opposition parties.
What Wat’s move means
For the Conservatives, Wat’s decision represents another loss of an experienced MLA.
For Milobar’s group, however, her arrival gives the emerging party greater credibility and parliamentary strength.
The group will now enter the fall legislative session with six members and a clear objective: establish itself as a serious alternative to both the B.C. Conservatives and the governing NDP.
Milobar has said the new party intends to be operational by the time the legislature resumes on October 5.
For Premier David Eby’s NDP government, the fragmentation of the opposition could create both opportunities and risks.
A divided centre-right could make it easier for the NDP to maintain its political advantage. But if the new party succeeds in attracting disaffected Conservative voters and presenting itself as a credible alternative, it could significantly alter the political competition before the next provincial election.
British Columbia’s political map is changing
Teresa Wat’s move is therefore more than another MLA changing political affiliation.
It is the latest sign of a broader realignment within British Columbia’s opposition politics.
A party that does not yet have a name has already grown to six legislators, while the Conservatives continue to deal with defections and internal disagreements.
Whether the new group can turn that momentum into a durable political organization will depend on its leadership, policy platform and ability to persuade voters that it represents a genuine alternative.
For now, one thing is clear: British Columbia’s centre-right political landscape is no longer dominated by a single opposition party.
