After a dramatic power struggle lasting nearly ten days, Dallas Brodie has returned to the helm of the OneBC party. The Vancouver-Quilchena MLA confirmed on Sunday that she has regained control of the political outfit she helped found, following the resignation of the entire party board that had moved to oust her.
A Swift Reversal of Fortunes
The internal conflict, which had been simmering for weeks, erupted publicly on December 14. Fellow MLA Tara Armstrong, chief of staff Tim Thielmann, and interim executive director Paul Ratchford announced they had voted to remove Brodie as leader. Their decision followed Brodie's firing of a young staffer over alleged associations with neo-Nazis and antisemitic comments made online. The board also accused Brodie of attempting to hack into the party's security systems.
Brodie responded to Postmedia the next day, revealing she had been presented with an ultimatum: either regain control of the party with the board's resignation or sit as an independent in the legislature. She stated her intention to fight for the party. "After negotiations, I have regained control of the party and resumed my position as the leader of OneBC effective immediately," Brodie declared in a social media post on Sunday. "I am terribly sorry for this conflict that has spilled out into the open."
Board Resigns, Control Transferred
The negotiations culminated in the board's decision to step down. In a statement, former chief of staff Tim Thielmann confirmed that the "board decided yesterday to resign and transfer control of the party over to Dallas." He expressed pride in the team's accomplishments over the previous six months.
This development leaves OneBC in a precarious parliamentary position. With Tara Armstrong now sitting as an independent, the party will no longer be recognized as an official party by the B.C. legislature. This status change carries significant practical consequences:
- Loss of access to caucus funding.
- Inability to ask daily questions during Question Period.
Background of a New Party's Turbulence
OneBC was formed in June of this year, a direct result of Brodie's expulsion from the BC Conservative caucus in March. That expulsion followed controversial comments she made that questioned the experiences of residential school survivors. The party's brief existence has now been marked by this very public and rapid internal schism.
The resolution, which sees Brodie back in charge as a party of one, underscores the volatile nature of the province's emerging political landscape. The coming weeks will reveal how Brodie intends to rebuild the party's structure and public image following this destabilizing episode.
