Leaderless, the BC Conservative Party would still give the governing NDP a run for their money if an election was called today a new poll suggests.
Angus Reid Institute data gathered March 11 to 17, indicates the NDP are statistically tied in vote intention with the BC Conservative Party, despite the latter lacking a permanent leader and having lost six MLAs in recent months to defections and ongoing issues.
At the heart of this shift, Angus Reid polling suggests there’s a growing public reaction to court decisions affecting Indigenous land rights, particularly in resource development.
“Former Premier John Horgan’s government’s decision to pass the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to guide the province towards aligning its laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) continues to have ripple effects,” the latest from the polling agency said.
“Increasingly, British Columbians believe DRIPA goes too far in limiting provincial authority. In August 2025, 44 per cent said that was the case; 53 per cent say so now.”
The Angus Reid data indicates that half of respondents said the province is paying “too much” attention to Indigenous issues, up 14 points since August 2025.
Meanwhile, trust remains fragile regarding agreements involving Indigenous land and rights. A majority (58 per cent) say they have little or no confidence in assurances from the federal government and Musqueam Indian Band that a recent February agreement will not affect private property rights.
Regardless of these issues, the BC Conservative party has yet to select a new leader following the resignation of its previous head after the narrow 2024 election loss.
Among potential leadership figures, a few names are emerging with relatively strong support among past Conservative voters, including Caroline Elliott and Peter Milobar.
There is more likability of the candidates among past BC Conservative voters than recognition. Once they were offered information on the candidates, three-in-five said they like the candidacies of Elliott (59%), MLAs Harman Bhangu (59%), and Milobar (58%). Kerry-Lynne Findlay (54%) is close behind.
