B.C. Conservative caucus fracturing as party president exits amid leadership tensions

B.C.'s Conservative party leadership is in turmoil, with party president Aisha Estey announcing her resignation after five years at the helm.

Estey's departure, announced Thursday, marks another significant exit from the party's executive structure. Vice-president Sharon White also quit, with board member Pavneet Singh taking over that role. Former federal Conservative candidate Mauro Francis has taken Estey's position.

The resignations follow months of instability at the top. In late July, Angelo Isidorou, the architect of the party's 2024 rise, stepped down as executive director and was replaced by Elaine Allen, another former federal Conservative candidate with strong ties to new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

Behind closed doors, the biggest source of friction is whether Findlay will invite back several Independent MLAs who left the party under John Rustad. Dallas Brodie, the Vancouver-Quilchena MLA who sits as an Independent, met with Findlay for four and a half hours on Aug. 7 at the Arbutus Club in Vancouver. Brodie said the meeting was positive and that both agreed they do not want a split on B.C.'s right-wing vote. "When I say I don't want to be a spoiler, I mean that I will make efforts to make sure that I'm not playing that role in this province," Brodie said. She ruled out stepping down to allow Findlay, who doesn't have a legislative seat, to run in a by-election in the safe Conservative riding.

Other Independents at the centre of speculation include Tara Armstrong and Jordan Kealy. Armstrong's standing remains unclear, while Kealy, who was charged with sexual assault, appears unlikely to rejoin the caucus. Public statements from Estey and party leaders suggest unity, but anonymous social media accounts have revealed tensions between factions, with attacks on Isidorou and Estey alongside embarrassing details about Findlay and controversial past work of some of her new hires.