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Elenore Sturko Becomes Sole Leader of CentreBC After Party’s Mass Defection
By Drooid · · How we work
Sturko Takes Helm of CentreBC as Sole MLA
Former RCMP officer Elenore Sturko announced she will lead CentreBC, the party that now has only one sitting legislator—herself. The decision follows a rapid exodus in which seven of the party’s eight MLAs rejoined the British Columbia Conservatives just days after the party’s short-lived leader, Peter Milobar, offered them a return. Sturko said she will “step up” as leader despite the setback, emphasizing her commitment to the party’s core issues of economic policy, health care and public safety.
Background: CentreBC’s Rapid Rise and Collapse
CentreBC was created in March 2025 by former BC United MLA Karin Kirkpatrick. Within a few months the new party attracted eight like-minded legislators, positioning itself as a centrist alternative to the province’s established parties. The momentum stalled when the Conservatives, led by Peter Milobar after Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s resignation, extended an invitation for the eight members to return. All but Sturko accepted, leaving the party with a single incumbent.
Official Statements & Responses
Former BC Green leader Andrew Weaver, who announced his candidacy in Oak Bay-Gordon Head under the CentreBC banner, expressed “enormous respect” for Sturko and indicated he will work with her, citing a desire to support democracy after Premier David Eby called a snap election. Weaver also criticized the BC Conservatives for internal conflict, calling their two-year feud “throwing grenades at each other.”
Data & Statistics
- CentreBC’s legislative caucus: 8 MLAs at peak -> 1 MLA after defections.
- Party founded: March 2025.
- Sturko’s prior party affiliation: left the BC Conservatives in June 2024.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was disappointed, of course, to see the other MLAs go back to the Conservatives, but you know they’ve made their decision, and of course now people know that I made mine. I decided to stay,” — Elenore Sturko — Elenore Sturko