“Now the really hard work begins” Bond on Findlay’s Conservative Leadership win

Kerry-Lynne Findlay is taking over the reigns of the BC Conservative Party.

Findlay won the leadership last night after months of campaigning, following Nechako Lakes MLA and former Leader John Rustad’s resignation as head of the party in December.

“I think if you’d ask people a number of months ago, whether Kerry-Lynne would emerge as the winner of the leadership race, I’m not sure a lot of people would have seen that coming,” said Former Prince George Valemount MLA and Political Analyst Shirley Bond.

“Obviously, Kerry-Lynne did her work, her team did on the ground, signing up members, making sure they got out to vote, and the result is that the BC Conservatives have a new leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay steps into that role, and I think she certainly has her work cut out for her.”

It was an incredibly tight race in the final round of voting, with Findlay taking 51 per cent of the vote on the final ballot, edging out Caroline Elliot with 49 per cent. Bond said it’s significant to look at how close the final ballot was.

“What that signals is that Kerry-Lynne is going to have to work very hard to make sure that she can coalesce the party, bring the people who participated in the race and voted, to make sure they fell they have a meaningful place in the BC Conservative Party,” Bond said.

“One of the things that this demonstrated is the fact that they were very much able to cement the right side of the party, so it does leave a gap in the middle. People who are looking at being a more centrist, middle of the road type voter, there’s some space there, and so it will be really interesting to see what happens, if any other groups emerge to try and fill that centre.”

Bond said that also leaves the door open for Premier David Eby and the NDP to capture some of the gap in the centre.

“Obviously they need to deal with some very challenging issues, and we’ve certainly seen that in terms of their relationship with First Nations,” Bond said.

“Early in the results, we see them coming out with a fairly stringent attack on Kerry-Lynne Findlay and her particular positions on some issues, so I think you’re going to see that intensify. The gap between them, we now clearly have the left and the right, and so they’re going to have to figure out how they reconnect with British Columbians.”

In terms of a strategy moving forward, Bond said it starts today for the BC Conservatives.

“Kerry-Lynne will have to work with the caucus she’s been given and that’s always an interesting scenario for leaders when they inherit a caucus,” Bond explained.

Bond said Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, who was also in the running and was dropped from the ballot after securing 10.5 per cent of the vote in the first round of voting, still sits in that caucus as well.

“She’ll be working to try to cement the relationship with Peter and elements of the caucus who supported him, so caucus is an important part of this equation,” Bond said.

“She needs to be able to demonstrate to British Columbians that she is a leader that can take on the role of Premier and do important work that needs to be done in British Columbia. There’s a lot of work ahead, and first and most pressing likely trying to figure out how to get Findlay a seat in the Legislature.”

Bond said Findlay has also indicated she’s spoken to MLAs who consider themselves to be independent conservatives in the legislature, potentially opening the door for some to return to the party.

“What the caucus has to say about that is also an important consideration,” Bond said. “They now have a new leader in place, they need to look at how they bring those varying groups together and create the kind of team that British Columbians look at and say ‘yes, I think this is a great team to take on the leadership of British Columbia.'”

Last week, media reports alleged Findlay is under investigation for possible breaches of the Canada Elections Act, which she denies. Bond says this adds another intriguing factor Findlay’s tenure as the BC Conservative’s Leader.

“The fact of the matter is Kerry-Lynne Findlay did her work, her team did their work, they managed to bring it over the line as close as the percentage of victory was, and so now the really hard work begins,” Bond said.

“Trying to find a way to bring the caucus together, look at that unity that’s important when you’re working in Victoria, also looking at those independent conservatives, and actually trying to find a way to appeal to those more centrist voters in our province.”