Brennan Day, Teresa Wat exit B.C. Conservatives, the latest to express concerns with Kerry

Brennan Day, Teresa Wat exit B.C. Conservatives, the latest to express concerns with Kerry-Lynne Findlay

Wat says she 'can no longer serve' under new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay

Brennan Day is the latest MLA to quit the B.C. Conservative caucus, the fifth to leave since Kerry Lynne-Findlay took over as leader.

Day, the MLA for Courtenay-Comox, told CBC News he's lost confidence in the judgment and ethical standards of Findlay and the people she's tapped for key staff and caucus leadership roles."Who Kerry-Lynne Findlay has decided to surround herself are absolutely an affront to my moral centre," Day said."What she's done to the Conservative Party in a short time is reckless and it is actually political malpractice what she's doing here. I'm not willing to be distracted by this constant churn that we're seeing."

Day said he will sit in the legislature as an "Independent Conservative."

It’s the latest blow to Findlay, who this week insisted her caucus is united while at the same time acknowledging that more MLAs could leave.Day's departure comes hours after MLA Teresa Wat, who represents the Richmond-Bridgeport riding, said she "can no longer serve" in the B.C. Conservative Party under Findlay.

Wat said in a news release Wednesday she will sit as an Independent going forward.

'Serious and unfounded accusations'

She said Findlay had made "serious and unfounded accusations" about her, "including remarks that called my allegiance to Canada into question" and that Findlay had not apologized.

"I cannot continue to sit in a caucus led by someone who has questioned my loyalty without evidence and, when given the opportunity to correct the record, has failed to do so," Wat said in the release.

In a post on X, Findlay said it was "unfortunate" that Wat chose to leave the party.

"It is a betrayal of the hardworking volunteers, campaign workers and voters who helped get her elected as a [Conservative Party] MLA in the 2024 election."

Findlay has not responded to CBC News's requests for comment.

2 MLAs leave B.C. Conservative caucus, plan to form new political party

Wat told CBC News her concern was around a screenshot of an alleged group chat posted by an anonymous X account named "The Findlay Files" on July 29. In the screenshot, Findlay claimed Wat had associations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In her post to X on Wednesday, Findlay didn't explicitly reference the CCP claim, but said she had had a private conversation with Wat the same day the screenshot was posted and apologized to her directly. Findlay said she had considered the matter resolved.

Wat told CBC's BC Today that Findlay did not apologize.

"My loyalty has always been to Canada and to the people I was elected to serve," Wat said. "To see that record reduced to the label 'CCP' is extremely difficult for me to put into words."

Wat said her constituents — many of whom are members of the Chinese diaspora — were concerned that Findlay did not deny the CCP claim and that Wat had not addressed it.

Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird left the party Tuesday and Ian Paton, MLA for Delta South, left Monday. Peter Milobar, the MLA for Kamloops Centre who ran against Findlay in the leadership contest, left on Aug. 14.

Paton and Milobar announced Monday that they intend to form a new political party.

Since Findlay's election, the B.C. Conservatives have also lost key staffers, including executive director Angelo Isidorou, president Aisha Estey and vice-president Sharon White.

B.C. Conservative Party campaign manager, executive director steps down

B.C. Conservative president out as party transitions under new leadership

Wat was a longtime B.C. Liberal — and then B.C. United — MLA but defected to the Conservatives ahead of the 2024 provincial election, shortly before Kevin Falcon folded the B.C. United campaign.

Wat has served as an MLA for a Richmond area riding since 2013. She was a news director at what is now Omni TV and served as a news editor for Ming Pao Daily News and as president and CEO of Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation, according to her MLA biography.

With files from Katie DeRosa, Karin Larsen and BC Today