B.C. Conservatives strip Independent Penticton MLA Boultbee’s membership

Half a year after Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee exited the B.C. Conservative party and became an Independent, the Conservitives have stripped her of her membership.

In a post to social media on May 8, Boultbee shared that the party’s board cancelled her membership following her vote to send the controversial bill on Freedom of Information requests to the committee for review and debate.

“Their position is that I violated the bylaw they cited for ‘publicly supporting another political party’ when I voted to take a bill on FOI to committee,” Boultbee said. “The B.C. Conservative leadership and board members who are making these decisions are deeply unserious.”

In her social media post, she said that she remains focused on representing her constituents.

“The economy, private property rights, lack of healthcare, and public safety are provincial emergencies, and my focus will remain there,” Boultbee said.

In addition to Boultbee, MLA Eleanore Sturko, who also sits as an Independent after being ousted from the B.C. Conservatives voted in support of sending the FOI bill to committee.

Boultbee exited the B.C. Conservative caucus in October of 2025, following Sturko’s ouster, and cited former party leader John Rustad as a main reason for her decision.

Rustad, in turn, accused Boultbee of leaking party information or being in line with party positions and suggested she was unable to handle the stress of her position. He claimed her decision was influenced by mental health issues, and even asserted that she supported Hamas.

Despite those claims, her membership within the party remained active, seemingly until the recent vote.

Boultbee also shared screenshots in the comments of her post, referencing Richmond Centre MLA Hon Chan, who was removed from the B.C. Conservative caucus in March, following charges of domestic violence being sworn against him in court.