Peter Milobar

Early life and career

Peter Gordon Milobar was born in Edmonton, Alberta on February 13, 1970, but was raised in Kamloops, British Columbia, which he has long called home. He lives in Kamloops with his wife, Lianne, who is Indigenous, and their three children. The family operates a small business together, reflecting their ties to the local economy. Before entering politics, Milobar gained experience in public administration and governance through roles with the BC Transit Board of Directors, the company PRIMECorp, and the Local Government Contract Management Committee. This background in both business and public boards provided a foundation for his later political career focused on community development and fiscal management.

Municipal political career

Peter Milobar's political career began at the municipal level in Kamloops. At age 32, while managing his family's Days Inn Hotel, he was first elected to Kamloops City Council in 2002, winning with 7,130 votes. His platform emphasized securing the status of Royal Inland Hospital as a referral centre and expanding the local tax base through development. He was re elected as a councillor in the 2005 municipal election, serving a total of two terms on council from 2002 to 2008.

In 2008, Milobar announced his campaign for mayor under the theme "A Balanced Approach." His goals included fulfilling tournament capital commitments, upgrading the sewage treatment plant, and working on affordable housing and public safety initiatives. On November 15, 2008, he was elected the 39th mayor of Kamloops with 74.13 percent of the vote. Milobar served three consecutive terms from 2008 to 2017, becoming the city's longest serving mayor. During his tenure, he also chaired the Thompson Nicola Regional District from 2006 to 2011, the first Kamloops mayor elected to that role, and served as chair of the Thompson Regional Hospital District from 2011 until 2017.

Provincial politics with BC Liberals and BC United

Milobar entered provincial politics in the 2017 British Columbia general election, winning the riding of Kamloops North Thompson as a member of the BC Liberal caucus. He was narrowly re elected in the 2020 election, winning by less than 200 votes. During his time with the official opposition, which rebranded as BC United in 2023, he held several critic portfolios. Milobar served as the official opposition critic for Environment and Climate Change, and for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. He also acted as opposition House Leader until 2022, when incoming Liberal leader Kevin Falcon named him the official opposition critic for Finance, a role that focused his work on provincial budgetary matters.

Shift to the Conservative Party of British Columbia

In September 2024, ahead of that year's provincial election, Milobar left BC United and joined the Conservative Party of British Columbia. He ran in the newly established riding of Kamloops Centre and was re elected in October 2024, defeating NDP candidate Kamal Grewal by approximately 2,000 votes. Following the election, he was appointed to the official opposition's shadow cabinet as critic for Finance in November 2024. In February 2025, Milobar made deeply personal comments in the legislature in response to controversial statements about residential schools from within his own caucus. He emphasized that his wife and children are Indigenous and his son in law is a Tk’emlúps band member, reaffirming his commitment to pushing back against denialism even within his party.

On January 16, 2026, Milobar announced his campaign to replace John Rustad as leader of the Conservative Party of BC. The leadership results announced on May 30, 2026, saw Milobar eliminated after the first ballot, having finished last with 10.5 percent of the vote. Following the election of new leader Kerry Lynne Findlay, tensions arose. Findlay had faced criticism during the campaign for suggesting Milobar had a conflict of interest on reconciliation due to his wife's Indigenous heritage, which Milobar called "the worst side of politics possible."

Brief independence and party formation

On August 14, 2026, Milobar announced he was leaving the BC Conservative caucus to sit as an independent, stating his values no longer aligned with the new leader. On August 24, fellow Conservative MLA Ian Paton also left the caucus, announcing that he and Milobar would found a new party with Milobar as interim leader. In September 2026, other Conservative defectors Bruce Banman, Áʼa꞉líya Warbus, and Rosalyn Bird announced they would join the effort. The political party Milobar created was officially registered with Elections BC as the "British Columbia Party" on September 22, 2026. Although Milobar's involvement was short lived, the party remained registered with him listed as leader.

Leadership of CentreBC and return to Conservatives

In a rapid series of moves in September 2026, Milobar was announced as the new leader of CentreBC on September 18, replacing former MLA Mike Bernier. CentreBC, founded in 2025, became the third largest party in the legislature behind the NDP and BC United at that time, with seven MLAs joining Milobar's caucus. However, only four days later, after Premier David Eby called a snap election, Milobar rejoined the BC Conservative caucus. This reconciliation occurred following the departure of leader Kerry Lynne Findlay, with Milobar stating he had no plans to take control of the party and would focus on growing the Conservative movement.

Questions about Peter Milobar

Who is Peter Milobar?

Peter Milobar is a British Columbia politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly since 2017. He currently represents the riding of Kamloops Centre and is a member of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Prior to provincial politics, he was the mayor of Kamloops for three terms from 2008 to 2017, becoming the city's longest serving mayor. He lives in Kamloops with his wife Lianne and their three children, and the family operates a small business together.

What political parties has Peter Milobar belonged to?

Peter Milobar's provincial political affiliation has changed several times. He was first elected as a BC Liberal MLA in 2017, with the party later rebranding as BC United. He crossed the floor to the Conservative Party of British Columbia in September 2024. In August 2026, he left the Conservatives to sit as an independent and formed the British Columbia Party. He briefly became leader of CentreBC in September 2026 before rejoining the Conservative caucus just days later, where he remains as of the latest information.

What is Peter Milobar's stance on residential schools and reconciliation?

In February 2025, Peter Milobar delivered a personal statement in the legislature pushing back against residential school denialism emerging from within his own Conservative caucus. He emphasized his family connections, noting his wife and children are Indigenous and his son in law is a Tk’emlúps band member. Milobar reaffirmed his commitment to confronting such denialism, stating he would speak out even when his comments were not welcome in all spaces, including within his own party. This stance later contributed to his departure from the party under a new leader in 2026.

What roles has Milobar held in the BC Legislature?

As an opposition MLA, Peter Milobar has held several critic portfolios. With the BC Liberals and BC United, he served as critic for Environment and Climate Change, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and was opposition House Leader. After joining the Conservatives, he was appointed finance critic in the official opposition's shadow cabinet in November 2024. He has also served as the finance critic under Conservative leader Kerry Lynne Findlay in 2026 prior to his brief departure from the party.

Why did Peter Milobar leave the BC Conservatives in 2026?

Milobar left the BC Conservative caucus on August 14, 2026, stating that his values no longer aligned with the new leader, Kerry Lynne Findlay. Tensions had arisen during the party's leadership campaign when Findlay suggested Milobar had a conflict of interest on reconciliation issues because his wife is Indigenous. Milobar called these attacks "the worst side of politics possible. His departure led him to sit as an independent and later form the British Columbia Party with other defectors.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-21.