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Tara Armstrong

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Tara Armstrong
MLA
Armstrong in 2026
House Leader of OneBC in the
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
In office
June 9, 2025 – December 16, 2025
LeaderDallas Brodie (interim)
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 19, 2024
Preceded byConstituency established
Personal details
PartyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
BC Conservative (until 2025)
OneBC (2025)
Websitetaraarmstrongbc.ca

Tara Armstrong MLA is a Canadian politician who has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) representing the electoral district of Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream since 2024. Initially elected as a member of the Conservative Party,[1] she left the party in 2025 and co-founded the OneBC Party with MLA Dallas Brodie. She served as the House leader of OneBC until December 2025, when she left the party and has since sat in the Legislature as an Independent.[2]

Early life and career

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She has worked with her family's seniors transportation business, Driving Miss Daisy, before joining the Conservative Party as the party's Election Readiness Chair in 2023.[3][4] In March 2025, she left the Conservative Party to sit as an Independent,[5] after the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, Dallas Brodie, was ejected from the Conservative Party that labeled Brodie's comments offensive towards survivors of residential schools.[6][7][8][9]

On June 9, 2025, Armstrong and Brodie started a new party called OneBC.[10][2] In December 2025, Armstrong stated that she had lost confidence in Brodie's ability to serve as leader, leading to her removal as interim leader by OneBC's board of directors.[11]

On December 16, 2025, it was announced by Armstrong that OneBC was no longer represented as a political party in the legislature.[12] Five days later, the Board of Directors, inclusive of Armstrong, Executive Director Paul Ratchford, and Chief of Staff Tim Thielmann, voluntarily transferred control of the party over to Brodie and resigned their positions, reinstating her as interim leader.[12][13]

In December 2025, a recall campaign targeting Armstrong was announced, with the earliest possible filing date of April 20, 2026.[14] Organizer Wilbur Turner, a 2SLGBTQ+ advocate, cited her "divisive and destructive policies" as a reason for the recall petition.[14][15]

Political views

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Healthcare

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In November 2023, Armstrong criticized Canadian broadcaster Jody Vance for retweeting a Peter Hotez tweet urging people to get the influenza vaccine and COVID-19 boosters. Armstrong claimed that Hotez was a "total fraud" for not wanting to debate with vaccine skeptics and that he was "bought and paid for by big pharma".[16]

Trans people

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In 2025, Armstrong introduced the Protecting Minors from Gender Transition Act as a private member's bill.[17] The bill proposed to ban puberty blockers, prevent the use of public funds for gender transition treatments, and allow patients to sue doctors for 25 years after receiving gender transition-related healthcare. The bill was defeated on first reading.[18]

On 13 February 2026, during the aftermath of the 2026 Tumbler Ridge shooting by a trans woman, Armstrong made several social media posts criticizing "transgender ideology" as "radicalizing youth, and unlocking violent impulses", as well as claiming that "[t]here is an epidemic of transgender violence spreading across the West".[19] Armstrong would later then introduce the Gender Ideology and Child Protection Act, deeming affirming trans youth to be child abuse, also defeated at first reading.[20]

On 26 February 2026, Armstrong tabled the Human Rights Code Repeal Act, which would abolish the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and repeal the province's Human Rights Code.[21] The bill followed a tribunal decision ordering Barry Neufeld to pay $750,000 in damages to the BC Teachers' Federation and Chilliwack Teachers' Association over his comments about LGBTQ+ people.[21][22] The bill failed at first reading by a vote of 50 to 37, with the Conservative caucus voting in support.[21][23]

Indigenous sovereignty

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In May 2025, following her departure from the Conservative caucus, Armstrong issued a joint statement with independent MLA Dallas Brodie characterizing the concept of 'Indigenous sovereignty' as a "threat" to British Columbia. The statement argued that the province "cannot accommodate more than 200 sovereignties within its borders" and claimed that "unilateral assertions of sovereignty" were "deepening racial conflict."[24]

Armstrong and Brodie also referenced historical colonial policies, expressing a desire to follow the example of British Columbia's entry into Confederation in 1871, when the government did not recognize the concept of Aboriginal title, which was invented over a century later.[24] The statement drew condemnation from the Penticton Indian Band, who demanded the resignation of both MLAs. The Band cited Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, emphasizing that 'Indigenous sovereignty' is protected by Canadian and international law.[24]

Controversies

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In April 2026, Armstrong received strong criticism for referencing, in critique of 'Indigenous' concepts, the Nazi concept of "blood and soil" in the British Columbia Legislature. During debate over the K’ómoks Treaty Act, she claimed that the treaty promotes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples' "blood and soil theory," that descendants of hunters have "inherent rights" based on claimed "inextricable links to the land."[25] The concept was used extensively by Nazi Germany to promote the idea that "Aryan" people, descending from documented German tribal history in Eastern Europe predating Slavic settlement and the Roman Empire, had an "ancestral" right to the lands that the country sought to conquer.[26] In a statement posted to social media, British Columbia Premier David Eby said "no one should ever be allowed to stand in the BC Legislature to use Nazi rhetoric to argue a point" and called for all parties to denounce her "abhorrent comment."[27][28] Similarly, Nico Slobinsky, vice president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, posted to social media, saying Armstrong's language "minimize[s] the memories of victims and lived experiences of survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi ideology."[29] Despite the calls to retract her comments, Armstrong instead posted a video of her comments to social media.[25]

Electoral history

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2024 British Columbia general election: Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeTara Armstrong14,30353.92+50.0$29,208.25
New DemocraticAnna Warwick Sears9,35035.25+4.6$25,889.99
IndependentKevin Kraft1,7246.50–$4,138.50
GreenAndrew Rose1,1514.34-10.5$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 26,52899.88–$71,700.08
Total rejected ballots 320.12–
Turnout 26,56058.25–
Registered voters 45,598
Conservative notional gain from BC United Swing N/A[n 1]
Source: Elections BC[30][31]
  1. ↑ Swing cannot be calculated as BC United did not run a candidate in this riding.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "BC election 2024 results: Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Johansen, Nicholas (June 12, 2025). "Kelowna MLA part of new BC political party". Castanet. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  3. ↑ Johansen, Nicholas (October 19, 2024). "Tara Armstrong declared winner in Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding - Kelowna News". Castanet. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Tara Armstrong wins big". Daily Courier. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  5. ↑ @TaraArmstrongBC (March 7, 2025). "I'm leaving the Conservative Party of BC" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
  6. ↑ DeRosa, Katie (March 6, 2025). "Divisions over residential school facts erupt inside B.C. Conservative caucus meeting". CBC News. Retrieved March 6, 2025
  7. ↑ Rouillard, Jacques (June 22, 2023). "In Kamloops, Not One Body Has Been Found". IRSRG. Retrieved October 7, 2025
  8. ↑ Kurjata, Andrew (March 7, 2025). "B.C. Conservative leader kicks Dallas Brodie out of caucus for 'mocking' residential school testimony". CBC News. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ Gangdev, Srushti; Brockman, Charles (March 7, 2025). "B.C. Conservatives fire MLA Dallas Brodie after mocking Residential School Survivors". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Page, Mark (June 12, 2025). "Former Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie to lead new B.C. political party". Keremos Review. Black Press Media. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ "OneBC ousts MLA Dallas Brodie as leader — but she says she's fighting back". CBC News. December 15, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  12. 1 2 @TaraArmstrongBC (December 16, 2025). "The Speaker's Office has confirmed that OneBC will no longer be recognized as an official party in the Legislature" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
  13. ↑ @timthielmann (December 22, 2025). "Our board decided yesterday to resign and transfer control of the party over to Dallas" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
  14. 1 2 Marr, Tyler (December 1, 2025). "Recall campaign targets Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong". AM 1150.
  15. ↑ Lim, Ty (January 15, 2026). "Recall petition planned against Okanagan MLA despite 'very challenging' goal". Nelson Star. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  16. ↑ LeBrun, Luke (October 20, 2024). "Meet the Extreme, Far-Right BC Conservative Candidates Who Are Now Legislators Following BC's Wild Election". PressProgress. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Votes and Proceedings | Legislative Assembly of BC". www.leg.bc.ca. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  18. ↑ Schuermann, Jan (October 9, 2025). "B.C. bill that would have stopped puberty blockers defeated". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  19. ↑ Maimann, Kevin (February 13, 2026) [February 11, 2026]. "After Tumbler Ridge shooting, false claims about trans people have proliferated online". CBC News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  20. ↑ Feb 19, Colin Dacre-. "Kelowna MLA's second bill targeting youth gender transitions voted down". www.castanet.net. Retrieved March 8, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. 1 2 3 Dacre, Colin (February 26, 2026). "Kelowna MLAs bill to repeal BC Human Rights Code quickly voted down". Castanet.
  22. ↑ Charlebois, Brieanna (February 23, 2026). "Former B.C. school trustee to challenge $750,000 penalty for anti-SOGI campaign". Castanet. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  23. ↑ Potestio, Michael (February 28, 2026). "Local non-profit angry with Kamloops MLAs for supporting first reading of bill to scrap B.C.'s Human Rights Code". Castanet. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 Tomas, Jesse (May 13, 2025). "Controversial Okanagan MLA doubles down on anti-Indigenous stance". InfoTel News. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  25. 1 2 Armstrong, Tara (April 23, 2026). "The NDP are blood and soil nationalists for the indigenous". X.
  26. ↑ Apr 23, Nicholas Johansen-; Story: 610552, 2026 / 2:47 pm |. "'Blood and soil': Kelowna MLA criticized for Nazi reference in Legislature debate". www.castanet.net. Retrieved April 23, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ Eby, David (April 23, 2026). "Stories". Instagram. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  28. ↑ Eby, David (April 23, 2026). "No one should ever be allowed to stand in the BC Legislature to use Nazi rhetoric to argue a point". X.
  29. ↑ Slobinsky, Nico (April 23, 2026). "Comparisons to "blood and soil" are inappropriate and minimize the memories of victims and lived experiences of survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi ideology". X.
  30. ↑ "Statement of Votes – 43rd Provincial General Election – October 19, 2024" (PDF). Elections BC. April 17, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  31. ↑ "2024 Provincial General Election Financing Reports Available". Elections BC. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
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