Boultbee's NDP move
Amelia Boultbee, former BC Conservative MLA, officially joins NDP caucus, strengthening Premier Eby's majority
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Boultbee told Castanet that John Rustad had invited her to 'get the f out if I don't like it,' and she has taken him up on that offer, highlighting a personal break with the former leadership as she moves to the NDP.
2
Her removal from the BC Conservative caucus followed her vote to send a BC NDP bill on Freedom of Information requests to the committee stage for review and debate, a policy clash that preceded her switch to the NDP.
3
Boultbee resigned from the Conservative caucus on October 20, 2025, after fellow MLA Elenore Sturko was removed, a move that underscored a broader leadership shake-up under John Rustad and internal tensions within the party.
4
Prior to crossing, Boultbee served in the official opposition shadow cabinet as critic for children and family development, indicating her substantive role in the BC Liberal-Opposition framework before joining the NDP.
5
The timing of Boultbee's move coincided with the BC Conservatives' caucus activity in Boultbee's riding, as the party met for its first official gathering under new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay around the same period the NC DP switch was announced.
Amelia Boultbee, the MLA for Penticton-Summerland, has joined the governing B.C. NDP, making her one of the most dramatic political crossings in recent provincial history. Global News reported the move publicly in early July 2026, with Premier David Eby welcoming her at a Victoria press conference. The switch gives the NDP 48 of 93 seats in the legislature, strengthening Eby's majority.
Boultbee was first elected in 2024 as a B.C. Conservative. She left that caucus in October 2025 and sat as an Independent before crossing to the NDP. She is the first woman ever elected to represent Penticton-Summerland. According to Richmond News, she called out the Conservatives for what she described as "Trump-style populism" as a key reason for her move.
Rustad Told Her to 'Get Out' — She Did
The break with the B.C. Conservatives was personal and sharp. Boultbee told Kelowna Daily Courier that former leader John Rustad had invited her to "get the f out" if she didn't like the party's direction. She said she took him up on that offer. That quote captures just how bitter the split had become.
The formal break came on October 20, 2025. Boultbee resigned from the Conservative caucus that day, Vancouver Island Free Daily reported. Her resignation followed the removal of fellow MLA Elenore Sturko — a move that exposed deep internal tensions under Rustad's leadership. Before that, the party had pushed her out over a single vote: she had supported sending a B.C. NDP bill on Freedom of Information requests to committee for review.
NDP Gains a Seat as Conservatives Lose Ground
The NDP now holds 48 of 93 seats in the B.C. legislature. That is a more comfortable majority for Premier Eby. Boultbee's move did not just add a number — it took one away from the opposition. The Conservatives' footprint in Victoria shrinks further with every defection.
The timing was striking. Creston Valley Advance noted the move came less than two months after the Conservative Party held its first official caucus gathering under new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. That meeting took place in Boultbee's own riding of Penticton-Summerland. The party was trying to project a fresh start. Instead, it lost another member.
From Shadow Cabinet Critic to NDP Backbencher
Boultbee was not a minor figure in the opposition. She served as the shadow cabinet critic for children and family development. That is a senior role. It means she spent months scrutinizing the NDP government she has now joined. Her institutional knowledge of that file could prove useful to Eby's team.
Vancouver Island Free Daily reported Eby publicly welcomed her at a press conference in Victoria. Boultbee cited concerns with the Conservatives' direction and leadership as her reasons for crossing. She framed the NDP not as an ideological match, but as a better fit for getting things done for her constituents in Penticton-Summerland.
BC Conservative Turmoil That Pushed Her Out
The B.C. Conservative Party has been in chaos since the 2024 election. Rustad's leadership style drove out multiple MLAs. Sturko's removal was a turning point. Boultbee's exit followed days later. Now, under Kerry-Lynne Findlay, the party is trying to rebuild — but it keeps losing people.
Richmond News reported Boultbee specifically criticized the party's drift toward divisive populism. She drew a direct line between that approach and her decision to leave. The party's removal of her from caucus over a procedural vote — supporting a bill going to committee — showed how little room for dissent remained under the old leadership. Findlay now inherits a smaller, more fragile caucus.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
16
Articles
40
Reach
56
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
