Poll: Vote independent?
Contributed – May 9, 2026 / 7:30 am | Story: 613354
Photo: BC Legislature
Amelia Boultbee, independent MLA for Penticton-Summerland, in a provincial legislature session in Victoria, B.C. on May 7.
The Conservative Party of BC has official cut ties with an Okanagan MLA who declared herself as an independent last fall.
Amelia Boultbee, MLA for Penticton-Summerland, announced in the fall that she would be leaving the Conservative caucus and operating as an independent moving forward, citing concerns about party leadership including MLA John Rustad.
In a public social media post Friday, Boultbee confirmed her transition away from the party is complete, as the leadership team cancelled her Conservative membership.
“Their position is that I violated the bylaw they cited for “publicly supporting another political party” when I voted to take a bill on FOI to committee,” she said, referencing a recent vote in which she supported the NDP’s position.
“The BC Conservative leadership and board who are making these decisions are deeply unserious … I’ll take them seriously when they can run a clean leadership campaign, have a leader, can identify themselves ideologically and vet candidates.”
Boultbee told Castanet earlier this week that she felt there were misogynistic issues within the Conservative Party.
“[It’s] behaviour of some of the BC Conservative men, not all of them, it’s a small number, but it’s very pervasive, where they’re very condescending to women, insinuating or saying that we are stupid,” Boultbee said.
She said she feels very effective as an independent for the time being, and is focused on serving her constituents.
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