Online petition started to recall the local MLA now sitting as Independent

The MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream is under fire after announcing she was leaving her party.

Tara Armstrong announced on social media that she was leaving the Conservative Party of B.C. to sit as an Independent in the Legislature.

“British Columbia voted for me and other BC Conservative MLAs because we promised to stand up for them and for what is right, no matter the cost,” Armstrong said in an online post.

“But under John Rustad’s leadership, one compromise after another has transformed that party into something I no longer recognize.

“He’s abandoned the truth and his moral compass in a quest for power. And the reality is, he will end up with neither.”

Armstrong went on to defend Dallas Brodie, who was removed from the party allegedly mocking the testimony of former residential school students.

In response to Armstrong leaving the party, an online petition was launched by her constituents to have her recalled and for another vote to be held.

“In the last provincial election, we, the constituents of Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, elected the Conservative representative as our MLA,” the petition on Change.org, said.

“That MLA, Tara Armstrong, has now resigned from the Conservative Party and indicated that she intends to sit as an Independent – a decision we were not part of and do not agree with.”

The petitioner went on to say that “elected representatives are meant to reflect the collective choices and beliefs of their constituents,” and that her leaving the party “skews this representation and shifts the balance of power that was decided by us.”

The petition called for Armstrong to resign and that a byelection be held to elect a new representative for the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding.

The Change.org petition was started on March 11, and as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, had received 97 signatures.

The petition is not official. In order to call for a formal recall, one would have to be approved by Elections B.C.

In that case, the petitioner would need to collect signatures from 40 per cent of eligible voters in the riding in order to have the MLA step down and for a byelection to be called.

Elections B.C. responded to a request for comment from Vernon Matters, stating a recall application cannot be accepted until 18 months after an election.

Armstrong, who did not speak with Vernon Matters or attend any all candidates forums in the lead up to the 2024 Provincial General Election, won the seat with 53.92 per cent of the vote.