Her résumé is hardly lightweight: a decade as a political staffer in Gordon Campbell’s government, policy work on the Site C dam at B.C. Hydro, a PhD in political science examining Indigenous self-governance against liberal-democratic standards, and years of public advocacy for property rights. She later served as B.C. United vice-president before stepping aside in the 2024 realignment.

Sitting across from her in a noisy Vancouver coffee shop, the 42-year-old in a black pantsuit is articulate and composed, with a serious tone that occasionally yields to a twinkle in her eye. She doesn’t demand attention — she invites it. That mix of intellect and sincerity has drawn top-tier campaign talent from across Canada, led by Ontario strategist Kory Teneycke.

“I have an amazing team made up primarily of British Columbians,” she says. “But yes, I’ve brought in out-of-province expertise. You know who else does that? The NDP — and they won in 2017, 2020 and 2024. I’m interested in winning. We have to stop being parochial and start asking who can actually defeat the NDP and rebuild this province.”

The stakes are high, even with the next election not due until 2028. The NDP’s slim majority already relies on the Speaker to break ties. A byelection win or loss of a confidence vote could shift power quickly.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) dominates the conversation. Elliott has called for its full repeal since before it passed. “We’re seeing the NDP go from defending it, to amending it, to suspending it, to doing nothing. The economic costs pile up every day.”

She’s not exaggerating. On the day we met, the Business Council of B.C. reported that 74 per cent of member companies are now reducing investment plans in the province due to uncertainty.

Unwinding DRIPA without inflaming tensions is the central test. “This is terrifying as a British Columbian,” she says. “Threatening collective resistance every time things don’t go your way is not how we resolve disputes in a democracy. The province is being held hostage.”

She would press Ottawa for help if needed and supports appealing the recent Cowichan court decision on Aboriginal title over private land. But she is cautious about a Supreme Court of Canada reference, noting past rulings haven’t always balanced public interest adequately. She also wants both levels of government to rescind civil litigation directives that limited arguments around extinguishment of title.

Repealing DRIPA, shrinking government, slashing red tape — “all of it is going to be hard,” Elliott acknowledges. “But it’s not a question of whether we should do it. We have to. And in this leadership race, the question that brings it full circle is: Who has the political will to follow through?”

She’s been speaking out on these issues long before it was popular, often taking “vitriol” for it. “I could see exactly where this was heading … It doesn’t matter if it’s easy; it just has to be said and done.”

For voters weary of ideology and drift, Caroline Elliott is pitching herself as the pragmatic unifier with the courage — and the machine — to deliver change. On May 30, B.C. Conservatives will decide whether they agree.