B.C. NDP caucus whip Katrine Conroy resigns

B.C. NDP caucus whip Katrine Conroy has stepped down from her position, saying she feels she has lost the trust and confidence of the leader and caucus.

"The whip is responsible for ensuring caucus discipline, facilitating caucus responsibilities as members of the legislature and ensuring caucus unity," the Kootenay West MLA said on Friday afternoon in Victoria.

"To do this job effectively, I must have the trust, confidence and support of the leader and the caucus. Recent events have led me to conclude that the required support is no longer there," she said.

Conroy confirmed she will stay on as a member of the NDP caucus, but her resignation is the third shakeup in the opposition party in recent weeks and comes the day before a weekend meeting of the party leaders.

Upset with MLA's dismissal

It was well known that Conroy was not pleased with the decision by NDP Leader Carole James to kick MLA Bob Simpson out of the caucus after he publicly criticized a speech made by James in September.

Simpson's dismissal led MLA Norm Macdonald to resign as caucus chairman, though he also remains in the party.

James has been under pressure from some quarters of the party to agree to a leadership convention prior to the next provincial election, scheduled for May 2013.

A showdown with several riding associations is expected Saturday at the meeting of the party's provincial council in Victoria. Four associations have formally voted to hold a leadership convention in September 2011.

Earlier on Friday, James said there's a small group in the NDP that thinks it's better to tear the party apart than to serve the people, and she wants New Democrats to stop criticizing and focus on the job ahead.

As party leader since 2003, James has lost two elections to the Liberals, but took the party to a much stronger finish in the most recent ballot in 2009.