Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigns as leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia

Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned Sunday as leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, effective immediately, following weeks of upheaval in the official Opposition caucus. In a social-media statement, she said the decision was difficult but was the right one for the party’s movement and the province.

Findlay said she will remain the Conservative candidate in the Sept. 26 Abbotsford-Mission byelection as she seeks a seat in the legislature. Her leadership lasted fewer than four months and included infighting, firings, defections by sitting MLAs and the recent disclosure that a private investigator had been hired to look into her critics.

Her resignation came hours after MLA Linda Hepner said she was leaving the Conservative caucus because of the party’s direction under Findlay. Hepner’s departure brought the number of sitting MLAs who have left since August to 13. On Thursday, Findlay told the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention that she was “not going anywhere,” amid calls for her resignation and controversy over the private investigator.

The former Harper-era federal cabinet minister said she had hoped to spend her first months as leader travelling the province, listening to residents and making the case for a strong, united Conservative movement. Instead, she said, too much energy had gone into internal fighting rather than challenging the governing NDP. Findlay said she would not allow a battle over her leadership to distract from the work people need from a strong opposition, acknowledged that she would make some decisions differently in hindsight and accepted responsibility for decisions that were hers to make.

She also said attacks on a person’s character and family, and threats directed at them, cross a line that should concern everyone regardless of politics. Findlay, who described herself as a wife, mother and grandmother, said disagreement should never become personal destruction.