Little more than one week ago, Kamloops-area MLA Peter Milobar was among the most senior figures in the hierarchy of B.C. United. 

As his party's shadow finance minister, he routinely criticized not only the fiscal performance of the B.C. NDP government under Premier David Eby, but also the Conservative Party of B.C. for its lack of economic policies and quality of candidates. 

Yesterday, Milobar and two other incumbent B.C. United MLAs — Trevor Halford (Surrey-White Rock) and Ian Paton (Delta South) — formally joined the Conservatives as candidates after party leader Kevin Falcon suspended B.C. United's campaign, surprising sitting and aspiring MLAs. 

Milobar used yesterday's announcement to talk to the media for the first time since last week and told Black Press Media in an interview Wednesday that he feels "very comfortable" with his decision.

"It's probably the most at peace I have been since this all started a week ago," he said.

A former mayor of Kamloops, Milobar cited his familiar roots and historic engagement for the community as motivating factors.

"This is my hometown, this is where I grew up, my family has deep roots here and I'm not prepared to give up that fight (for Kamloops) without having the electorate telling me it's time to move on." 

Milobar's intentions remained unclear for days. He said his decision to join the Conservatives followed a "methodical process" that considered various political prospects and personal aspects.

"Is politics still the path, or is the cosmos trying to tell me something else?" he said. "There is a lot that went into it...it wasn't so much last minute, as knowing that the clock was ticking and a final decision had to be made one way or another."  

Milobar's decision to join the Conservatives means Dennis Giesbrecht, the party's original candidate for Kamloops-Centre, which includes half of Milobar's current riding of Kamloops North-Thompson, will now be running in Vernon-Lumby.  Milobar said he assumed that he would run in Kamloops-Centre, and Rustad agreed.

"It wasn't a negotiation, it wasn't my line in the sand or anything like," Milobar said. "(It) was a foregone conclusion by the time that they had already started talking to me."  

Milobar added that he had only talked to Rustad.

"John had indicated he was having discussions with Dennis and Dennis was aware of the possibility and was okay with it and I had committed to not talking publicly and spreading the word far and wide that I was even considering out of respect for Dennis and his situation."

Milobar now ranks among the most experienced candidates for any party running in this year's election. His official opposition role raises the question of whether he had received an offer to become finance minister if the Conservatives win. 

"I never asked and John never offered..any position," Milobar said. "That would have been completely inappropriate from either of (us). There was no discussion like that at all and nor should there be, because first of, you are pre-supposing that you have won an election as government."

Milobar also pointed out that any future Conservative cabinet would have to balance various interests.

"(You) shouldn't be,  frankly, in my opinion, running strictly based on something like that..it's really whether or not you feel you can make a difference in the overall picture, whether or not you can have a voice and bring your perspective to the table in a meaningful way." 

Experts consider Milobar a centrist voice and he signalled some of these positions in an interview with his local CBC station, when he was asked whether he considers himself a Conservative.  

"In terms of myself, I'm definitely a fiscal conservative, absolutely," he said. "Do I struggle with some of the more social policy sides where the party is currently at? Absolutely, and I said that yesterday as well." 

When asked whether his self-description as a "fiscal conservative" was a dodge, Milobar disagreed.

"I was a B.C. United member up until 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon. I'm now running for the B.C. Conservatives," he said.

Milobar added that he never held membership in a federal party nor in a provincial party prior to running for then B.C. Liberals.  

"In B.C., the reality is that the name of the centre-right party seems to change every 20-or-so years."

Milobar added that he has always "been very consistent on the fiscally conservative side" whether on the municipal or provincial level.

"That was the easiest way to try to capture that question, but it wasn't trying to be a dodge. I'm running for the B.C. Conservatives. Of course, I will be a B.C. Conservative Party member. That just seems to be an automatic."

Milobar also predicted during the CBC interview that the provincial Conservatives will evolve. He drew a historical comparison to the time when he served with Jane Ann Thornthwaite and Laurie Throness, who represented opposite ends on social issues. Thornthwaite was considered a liberal voice on those issues, while the B.C. Liberals eventually kicked Throness out of the party for what can be described as social conservative views.

"We would have rigorous caucus conversation and debate and I can tell you over the years, Jane really did move the needle what the whole caucus thought about a lot of those issues, from addictions and recovery to LGBTQ issues and that nature."

When asked how much of his decision to join the party revolved around re-shaping the party through his presence, Milobar acknowledged it played a factor.

"It's not  because John made any promises or assurances to me on anything like that," he said. "It's just the simple cold reality of how political parties ebb and flow and develop over time. The NDP of today is not the NDP of 20 years ago." 

When asked how much of a role he intends to play in changing the Conservatives' views on issues like SOGI 123, Milobar said it depends on being elected and the make-up of the caucus, and whether it is in government or in opposition. He sees himself as "saying and defending" the same positions he has always held on many of those issues. 

"I'm committing to the people in my riding that they know how I think, they know how I operate and I'm not intending to change that, " Milobar said. "I am doing this to be the strongest local voice we can possibly have for the residents of the Kamloops-Centre at the provincial government level."

Milobar acknowledged "there is a lot of focus on those social issues right now and understandably so" but he also asked voters to have a broader perspective.

"(I) have a very long track record of fighting tooth-and-nail, regardless of who is in government, for health care in our community." 

"The reality is that I would rather be one of those voices bringing that perspective to the table than being on the outside looking in," he said. (Every) political party has a very wide range of views within their caucus."