BC Conservative MLA Resigns, Clearing Way for New Leader Findlay to Seek Seat

B.C. Conservative MLA Reann Gasper, who represents Abbotsford-Mission, announced Aug. 22 that she will step down, creating an opportunity for party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek the seat in a forthcoming byelection.

Gasper said the decision was made out of consideration of the larger goal of defeating the NDP, according to an Aug. 22 joint statement from Gasper and Findlay. Gasper said she would remain involved in the party and continue to work closely with Findlay and the Conservative caucus.

In a post to X on the same day, Gasper said the decision to step down was hers and nobody had asked her to do it.

“I believe in Kerry-Lynne. I believe in her leadership, her experience and her ability to represent this community. I support her, and I will do everything I can to help her win this seat,” she wrote.

In her response to that post, Findlay called Gasper “an outstanding MLA, Shadow Minister and Deputy Whip” and said she was grateful the two would continue working together.

With the announcement of Gasper’s resignation, B.C. Premier David Eby will need to call a byelection within six months.

Findlay, a former MP and Harper-era federal cabinet minister, won the B.C. Conservative leadership race on May 30. She would need to win a byelection to become a member of the provincial legislature if she doesn’t want to wait until the next provincial general election, which may not be held until October 2028.

Gasper was elected in the B.C. provincial general election on Oct. 19, 2024. During her tenure, she served as official opposition critic for children and family development and also a member of the Select Standing committee on Children and Youth, focusing on policy and oversight surrounding child welfare and specialized support services for families.

Prior to Gasper announcing her intention to step down to give Findlay a chance to run, some Tory MLAs, including Rosalyn Bird and Lynne Block, had publicly said they wouldn’t resign their seats.

Prior to Gasper winning the Abbotsford-Mission riding in 2024, it was held by the NDP following the 2020 election. Before that, it was held by the B.C. Liberals, who later renamed the party B.C. United before merging with the B.C. Conservatives.

In a previous interview with The Epoch Times, Findlay had said she would prefer to run in a riding that is safer for Conservatives so “it’s not going to distract from everything else you’re doing.”

“I mean, there’s no safe riding, and you can never take anything for granted. But obviously, some are more Conservative-leaning than others, so that is a consideration too,” she said.