‘The NDP has to go or B.C. is doomed’; MLA Milobar chats 2025 and big year ahead for Conservatives

Identity politics have at times dominated headlines in 2025, in some cases overtaking true substantial policy, currently bridging that divide are the challenges around DRIPA (Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People’s Act).

“We need to repeal that and then we need to come forward with a new way of addressing and tackling reconciliation,” said Milobar. “And so when the premier tries to say almost the exact same thing we are saying and then turns around and tries to portray in a different light because we are saying that as well, I think that is where that division comes comes in.”

“Frankly I think a lot of the identity politics are being driven, if I’m being blunt, by the premier. He is saying very similar things if we look at something like DRIPA, he is saying very similar things to what we’ve been saying all along, yet he tries to frame it up that we are this far right fringe group that doesn’t want to work with Indigenous communities, doesn’t want reconciliation. Nothing could be further from the truth,” added Milobar.

The messaging from the NDP to local municipalities like Kamloops is that the government is broke, according to commentary made in recent city council discussions. For Milobar it goes further than the bottom line, with his belief the spending is misplaced.

“In this case we are collecting record revenues as a government and they are still running record deficits, which means the NDP really doesn’t have a plan to get us out of this mess,” said Milobar. “And that is why I say the right of centre voter is starting to realize that we need to actually focus on the big picture, focus on what actually unites us. And the one biggest driving force that unites all of us on the right of centre side of the political spectrum is the NDP has to go or B.C. is doomed.”

“We really are as broke as they say, and the problem is it’s an operational deficit it’s not a capital deficit, it’s not because of building highways, it’s because of day-in, day-out operations,” added Milobar.

Milobar will be front and centre as finance critic with the provincial budget set for February, but has a number of local issues that he hopes the NDP will address.

“Those bigger pieces, the PET/CT scanner (for the Kamloops Cancer Centre) is not an issue that is going to go away. We still have school capital needs that need to be addressed,” said Milobar. “We still have some of those big picture pieces that at a very local level we need to work on. And then in conjunction with Ward Stamer there is a lot of concern around the forest industry and what does that mean to area mills.”

Milobar is not expecting a snap election call, but is ready if David Eby drops the writ.

“The only way they can actually trigger an election is either to manufacture a vote loss on a confidence vote, which is not as simple to do as one might think. Or the premier would have to be completely politically crass and go knock on the door of government house and tell the Lieutenant Governor that despite winning confidence vote after confidence vote and having a majority of seats in the legislature, he no longer feels he has the ability to govern and needs a new mandate because of tight numbers,” said Milobar. “I think British Columbians would not be well served if he did that. I think the premier would be very surprised where the public sentiment truly is about his government.”

Kamloops city council has been advocating for more recovery focused housing in the community but are facing opposition inside the NDP government.

“And here we have the minister doing the exact opposite of that, not listening to housing providers, not listening to communities who have said look we have done as much as we can with that wide open supportive access housing side, we need some more that are recovery focused give those people a fighting chance that are trying to stay clean, trying to stay dry so they have safe housing as well,” said Milobar. “This is not just unique to Kamloops, this is a mindset that the government knows best and the housing operators and the local governments should just stay out of it. And they are the ones that actually have to deal with the aftermath when these housing projects are not built and properly supported by the provincial government.”

During a recent interview with CFJC, Housing Minister Christine Boyle rejected the thought that her ministry had a new philosophy under her leadership as compared to Ravi Kahlon.

“But he was at least willing to have the conversation, I will give him credit for that,” said Milobar of Kahlon. “The problem is that seems to have now been disconnected by a new minister, who is a former city councilor, one would think she would better understand the challenges that cities are facing when they are asked to do more and more outside of their mandate,” said Milobar.

Provincial MLAs will return to the legislature for first session of the new year in February, 2026.

by Michael Reeve

‘The NDP has to go or B.C. is doomed’; MLA Milobar chats 2025 and big year ahead for Conservatives

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