VICTORIA — Former British Columbia Conservative leader John Rustad says he has been invited to rejoin the party’s caucus, just days after he was expelled by Kerry-Lynne Findlay in the dying days of her own tenure as leader.

Findlay quit on Sunday, with Lorne Doerkson appointed interim leader of the Opposition, and Rustad said on Monday that Doerkson had reached out to him by text message and asked him to return.

He also said there had been “high level” unity talks between the Conservatives and the breakaway CentreBC party, and he rated the talks’ chance of success at 95 per cent.

The developments come after the caucus of B.C.’s governing NDP met Sunday night to discuss a potential early election after Findlay’s resignation, raising the prospect of voters going to the polls while the Opposition has no fixed candidate to become premier.

An interim leader is prohibited by the Conservative constitution from seeking the party leadership on a permanent basis, but Rustad said there was a way for Doerkson to become premier.

Rustad told a news conference at the legislature that there were “obviously lots of people” in B.C. who don’t know the Cariboo-Chilcotin legislator, but he called Doerkson a “quality individual” and said he would be happy to have him lead the party into an election if he wanted.

Rustad said of speculation about the future of the Conservatives that people like former premiers Christy Clark and Gordon Campbell needed to “let politics go,” and realize that “their time is over.”

“That may mean time is over for me, too. I don’t know,” said Rustad, who did not confirm if he was rejoining the caucus.

“But I’m not going to be trying to force my will or my vision in terms of what our party was … onto whoever the new leaders are going to be,” he said.

“If they want me to be part of that in terms of supporting and building, I will do that. But it is time for that older generation of politicians to step aside.”

Findlay’s resignation followed weeks of upheaval in the Conservative caucus, with 13 defections or expulsions, including Rustad who was ejected with two others on Friday.

He provided a timeline of the chaos the preceded that moment.

Rustad said he asked Findlay to step down last Wednesday at a caucus meeting, where there was “emotion and frustration around the table.”

The next day he got a text from Findlay expelling him. Fifteen minutes later that was rescinded.

But on Friday he was told he was out.

Speculation about a snap election being called, less than two years since the 2024 election, intensified Monday when the NDP announced that cabinet minister Lana Popham won’t be running for a sixth term.

“After 17 years as the MLA for Saanich South, I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election,” she said in a statement.

The minister of agriculture said her decision not to run again was difficult and sad.

Popham’s statement came after NDP MLAs met Sunday night to discuss Findlay’s departure, according to an email from party staff that was inadvertently sent to all legislators, instead of just those on the government benches.

“I’m sure you’ve seen by now, but KLF has resigned as leader of the BC Conservatives,” the email obtained by The Canadian Press says.

It goes on to say the meeting was to “to discuss and hear from Cheryl and her team,” an apparent reference to Cheryl Oates, Premier David Eby’s former chief of staff, who has been appointed to manage the NDP campaign for the next election, whenever it is held.

The Canadian Press briefly attended the meeting, along with at least two Conservative legislators, before being asked to leave.

Eby said last week that he told his legislators they need to be “election ready.”

Doerkson was first elected in the riding of Cariboo—Chilcotin in 2020 as a member of the BC Liberal party, which rebranded as B.C. United, before crossing the floor to join the Conservatives and being reelected in 2024.

Turmoil in the Conservative ranks, who have been divided over ideology and direction, birthed the CentreBC party which picked up eight legislators last week, including new leader Peter Milobar.

All are former Conservatives, including seven who quit that party’s caucus in recent weeks, while Eleanor Sturko was ejected by Rustad last year.

The legislature says the party standings are 47 for the NDP — giving them a one-seat majority — with 24 Conservatives, two Greens, two vacancies, and 18 Independents, including those joining CentreBC.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press