BC politics · Facebook source-check · 2026-09-06
Five ex-B.C. Conservative MLAs are forming a new party — but the Facebook “New Liberal Party” card needs correction
NewsForBC checks a Facebook post claiming Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Point-Warbus and Bruce Banman launched a new B.C. party, against CBC, Canadian Press, Castanet and Elections BC records.
What the Facebook post showed
The Facebook share resolved to a post from Domenic Cinalli. Its OpenGraph text said Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, “Teresa Point-Warbus” and Bruce Banman had launched a new B.C. party. The captured image reads: “The New Liberal Party of B.C.” and “BREAKING — Five former BC Conservative MLAs launch new party.”
That image is useful as a lead, but it is not the best evidence for the party name or member list.
What checks out
CBC, Canadian Press/Times Colonist, Castanet, CFJC and other B.C. outlets all report that five former B.C. Conservative MLAs are now forming or joining a new provincial party effort: Peter Milobar, Ian Paton, Rosalyn Bird, Bruce Banman and Áʼa:líya Warbus.
The group says it wants to offer a “stable” or “serious” alternative to the NDP and to voters unhappy with the B.C. Conservatives under Kerry-Lynne Findlay. Milobar is reported as interim leader until an internal leadership vote before the Legislature returns Oct. 5.
What needs correcting
| Facebook/social wording | Source-check result |
|---|---|
| “The New Liberal Party of B.C.” | Not supported for this group. Current reports call the party unnamed/still unnamed. Castanet says Milobar stated the new name should not have “conservative” or “liberal” in it. |
| “Teresa Point-Warbus” | Use the reported name Áʼa:líya Warbus. Teresa Wat is a separate MLA who left the Conservatives, but the retrieved reports did not list her as joining this five-person group. |
| Launched/registered party | Forming, registration pending. Elections BC’s Sept. 5 registered-party PDF did not list the new Milobar/Paton party. Castanet says it cannot run in the Sept. 26 Abbotsford-Mission byelection because it will not be registered in time. |
Why this matters
The B.C. Conservative caucus has been losing MLAs since Findlay’s leadership win. The new five-MLA group could reshape the opposition benches, question-period time, caucus resources and the vote-splitting calculation for the next provincial election. But readers should separate those real stakes from premature branding claims.
For NewsForBC, the public-interest questions are straightforward: What will the party be called? Who will lead it after its internal vote? Will Elections BC approve registration? Which MLAs, if any, join next? What policy commitments will be on paper rather than in social-media branding?
Claim-by-claim
| Claim | Evidence label | Source trail |
|---|---|---|
| Five former B.C. Conservative MLAs are forming/joining a new party. | Confirmed by mainstream reporting. | CBC, CP/Times Colonist, Castanet and CFJC report Milobar, Paton, Bird, Banman and Warbus. |
| The party is officially called “The New Liberal Party of B.C.” | Not supported. | That appears on the Facebook image, but current reporting says the party is unnamed; Castanet reports Milobar wants neither “conservative” nor “liberal” in the name. |
| The party is already registered with Elections BC. | Not verified. | Elections BC’s current registered-party list/PDF does not list it as of Sept. 5/6. |
| It will have official third-party status. | Reported/expected. | Outlets report the five-MLA group expects to sit with official third-party status when the Legislature returns. |
Sources
- CBC: five ex-B.C. Conservative MLAs forming new party
- Canadian Press / Times Colonist: no time to waste for Milobar
- Castanet: five former B.C. Conservative MLAs unite
- Castanet Kamloops: name/registration questions
- CFJC: third-party status incoming
- Elections BC political parties page
- Elections BC registered parties PDF
- CBC: Elections BC rejected 2024 New Liberal Party of B.C. name proposal