Kerry-Lynne Findlay

Kerry-Lynne Donna Findlay (born January 12, 1955) is a Canadian politician and lawyer who has served as leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia since 2026. She had served as a member of Parliament (MP) for South Surrey—White Rock from 2019 to 2025 and Delta—Richmond East from 2011 to 2015 with the federal Conservative Party. Findlay was Associate Minister of National Defence in 2013, and Minister of National Revenue from 2013 to 2015 under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Early life and legal career Kerry-Lynne Findlay was born in 1955 in Ladysmith, British Columbia, and lived in Nanaimo and Victoria; her brother Greg Findlay was a linebacker for the BC Lions Canadian Football League (CFL) team. She comes from a family with many former CFL players; Findlay's father Stephen Findlay played for the Hamilton Tigers in the 23rd Grey Cup. After graduating from Crofton House School in Vancouver, she attended the University of British Columbia, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science in 1975, and a law degree in 1978.

Political career In the 1980s and 1990s, Findlay was a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada. She attended national conventions as a delegate, was an executive member of the Liberal Party Women's Commission, and an executive member of the party for the Vancouver Centre riding association. but lost to Liberal candidate Stephen Owen.

Federal politics (2011–2025) She was named the Conservative Party's candidate for Delta—Richmond East in March 2011, and won the seat in that year's federal election. She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice in May 2011, She then served as the Minister of National Revenue from July 15, 2013, until November 4, 2015.

She contested the reconstituted riding of Delta in the 2015 election, but lost to Liberal candidate Carla Qualtrough. She then ran for the Conservatives in the 2017 South Surrey—White Rock by-election, but was defeated by the Liberal's Gordie Hogg, taking 42.1% of the vote to Hogg's 47.5%.

In a re-match at the 2019 election, Findlay unseated Hogg by taking 42.6% of the vote. She served as shadow minister for Environment and Climate Change from November 2019 to September 2020. She voted in support of Bill C-233 – an act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion), which would make it an indictable or a summary offence for a medical practitioner to knowingly perform an abortion solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex.

She was re-elected in 2021 by defeating Gordie Hogg again, and served as shadow minister for National Defence from November 2021 to October 2022. Candice Bergen was ultimately chosen for the role. On September 13, 2022, Findlay was named Chief Opposition Whip by Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, becoming the first woman to serve in this role for the Conservatives.

She lost re-election in the 2025 election. Some observers attributed her loss to comments made by her husband Brent Chapman, who is the MLA for Surrey South. In May 2026, the federal election watchdog announced Findlay was under investigation over expenses for her failed re-election bid. Elections Canada alleges Findlay received $75,000 in undeclared and unpaid services from a corporation in exchange for promised federal contracts. Her role was to help with candidate recruitment and policy development.

In February 2026, Findlay was involved in a launch event for the Conservative Electors Association, where they announced the slate of candidates for the 2026 Surrey municipal election.

Leader of the BC Conservatives (2026–present) On May 30, 2026, Findlay was elected leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia with 51% of the vote. She took over from interim leader Trevor Halford following the resignation of John Rustad in December 2025.

During the leadership campaign Findlay faced criticism within her own party for saying fellow leadership candidate Peter Milobar had a conflict of interest when it comes to reconciliation because his wife is Indigenous. In response Milobar called Findlay's attacks "the worst side of politics possible,” suggesting her victory would “give a lot of British Columbians pause for thought of whether they would actually vote for a party like this.” He would later leave the party in August 2026.

Findlay received criticism in July 2026 after her senior staff and MLAs were allegedly directed to no longer use the term "First Nations", but instead to use terms like "Indian". Although "Indian" is generally regarded as an archaic and offensive term, Findlay allegedly argued that its appearance in legal and official documents such as the federal Indian Act justified its use. In response to the allegations, former Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark called Findlay "kooky" and said Findlay "cannot win an election."

In August 2026, Ian Paton accusing Findlay of offering him a paid job with an MLA's salary if he resigned his seat for her. Similarly, Rosalyn Bird said that when she refused to resign to allow Findlay to run in her riding she threw a "tantrum," writing "she yelled at me, told me I was being selfish, told me this was about a bigger picture, then she hung up. The conversation was less than a minute." On August 23rd, 2026 Reann Gasper announced that she would step down as MLA of Abbotsford-Mission and allow party leader Findlay to run for her seat in a by-election. Gasper was promptly hired as Findlay’s deputy chief of staff.

In August 2026, seven Conservative MLAs resigned from the party, criticizing Findlay's leadership. Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat claims Findlay made “unfounded accusations about me, including remarks that called my allegiance to Canada into question,” stating she "cannot continue to sit in a caucus led by someone who has questioned my loyalty without evidence and, when given the opportunity to correct the record, has failed to do so.” Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day issued a statement criticizing Findlay's leadership, writing "I have lost confidence in the judgement, conduct, and ethical standards of her leadership and those she has chosen to surround herself with." Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman, the first MLA to cross the floor and join John Rustad as a Conservative, wrote "person after person has informed me they have decided that our new leader is unelectable," instead he is "joining an ever increasing number of MLAs to sit as an independent MLA in the BC Legislature". Banman also wrote he "would encourage my fellow MLAs regardless of political affiliation to join me." Milobar and Paton further announced their intention to create a new party.

Since July 2026, multiple staffers have also resigned from the party, including former executive director Angelo Isidorou, former party president Aisha Estey and former vice-president Sharon White. These positions have been replaced by many controversial figures, including Apollo Chung, a former member of the separatist Republican Party of Alberta, and Chris Delaney, notable for his ties to former British Columbia Premier Bill Vander Zalm. The two married in 1993 and had two more daughters together; Chapman was elected as the provincial MLA for Surrey South in the 2024 British Columbia general election.

Findlay's volunteer posts, in addition to the Canadian Bar Association, have included chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission,

In 2001, she declared bankruptcy with more than a half million dollars in debt. She attributed the bankruptcy to a legal battle with the Musqueam First Nation.

Electoral history