B.C. Conservatives recruit three more BC United MLAs, shaking up candidate list

The B.C. Conservatives have recruited three more sitting BC United legislators to run under their banner in the fall provincial election, shaking up their previous candidate list.

The B.C. Conservatives have recruited three more sitting BC United legislators to run under their banner in the fall provincial election, shaking up their previous candidate list.

Conservative Leader John Rustad says Ian Paton, Peter Milobar and Trevor Halford are joining his party in what he calls a sign of "growing momentum" to unite the ticket, after last week's announcement that the Official Opposition BC United was shutting down its campaign to avoid splitting votes with the Conservatives.

Paton, who represents Delta South, and Halford, who is MLA for Surrey-White Rock, will continue to stand in those ridings, while Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Milobar will seek election in Kamloops Centre.

The shake up to consolidate the two parties' candidate slates have seen at least one Conservative lose their endorsement, with Dupinder Kaur Saran now planning an independent run in Surrey-Panorama, after making way for Brian Tepper, the Conservative who had previously been challenging Halford in Surrey-White Rock.

Saran says on social media that Tepper was "bullied" into switching ridings and the Conservatives are "now a Liberal Party running under the Conservative Banner."

Paton, Milobar and Halford become the first BC United MLAs to officially switch to the Conservatives since United Leader Kevin Falcon reshaped the B.C. political landscape last Wednesday by ending his party's campaign.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024