B.C. Conservative leadership candidates face final $60,000 fee deadline

The B.C. legislature is framed within trees in Victoria, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

VICTORIA — The final field of candidates to lead the B.C. Conservatives is expected to be confirmed Saturday, as the contenders face a deadline to pay a final entrance fee of $60,000.

Saturday also brings a 5 p.m. deadline for British Columbians to join the party in order for them to vote in the contest.

The five candidates still standing as of Friday were MLA Peter Milobar, entrepreneur Yuri Fulmer, commentator Caroline Elliott, former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Iain Black and former MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

They have already paid fees amounting to $55,000 to stay in the race.

Ballots in the contest to replace former leader John Rustad will be sent out on May 9, and the party will announce its new leader on May 30 at its leadership convention.

Candidates have also had to pay a refundable $20,000 compliance deposit, which the party can use to fine candidates who run afoul of the rules.

Under the contest rules, voters will cast their ballot ranking the candidates, who will initially receive points based the percentage of first-choice votes they receive in each riding.

Points in ridings with fewer than 100 eligible voting members will be distributed on a weighted basis, according to the number of members.

The riding totals will then be added, and unless a winner emerges with more than 50 per cent of all points, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.

The second preferences of voters for the eliminated candidate are then distributed to the other candidates.

That process of elimination continues for as many rounds as it takes for someone to secure a majority of the points.

This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published April 18, 2026.