Delta South MLA Ian Paton parted ways with the Conservative Party of BC on August 24, joining Kamloops MLA and former finance critic Peter Milobar as an independent member.
“I was elected to represent Delta South in Victoria. I was not elected to simply represent a political party in Delta South,” he says in a statement explaining his decision. “My first responsibility as an MLA is to the people of Delta South who elected me.”
A former dairy farmer, Paton was first elected in 2017 after serving on Delta council. Originally elected under the BC Liberal banner, he served through the party’s rebranding as BC United and hosted a fundraiser days before Kevin Falcon’s shock decision to unite the party with the BC Conservatives under John Rustad.
Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s election as party leader this summer initially saw Paton named Lower Mainland lieutenant. However, he relinquished that role at the end of July and has now severed ties entirely.
“It has become clear to me that the new direction of the Conservative Party of BC under the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay is no longer aligned with my beliefs,” he says.
Since Paton’s departure, five other MLAs have left the Conservative caucus to sit as independents, including Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman, who succeeded Paton as agriculture critic but resigned three days later.
The Conservatives have yet to name a new agriculture critic.
Speaking at the BC Potato Variety Trial field day on August 27, Paton pledged to continue critiquing the agricultural policies of the BC NDP government under David Eby.
“I’m still going to be the ag critic,” he assured provincial agriculture minister Lana Popham, who
says she looked forward to continuing to work with Paton to advance the interests of the sector.
“I’ve always considered us a team, no matter what political party we’re on, and going forward I still expect us to work together in the ways that we have,” Popham says.
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Potato field day caps solid season