WATCH: Milobar merges with CentreBC, will lead eight-member caucus

VANCOUVER — Peter Milobar and seven fellow former BC Conservative MLAs have joined forces with CentreBC.

The move comes amid fears Premier David Eby could call a snap election any day now.

During a press conference at Canada Place on Friday, Milobar received the handoff from now-former CentreBC leaders Mike Bernier and Karin Kirkpatrick. They were flanked by five of the MLAs who had initially joined Milobar — Á'a:líya Warbus, Bruce Banman, Teresa Wat, Rosalyn Bird, and Donegal Wilson — as well as new recruit Elenore Sturko. Ian Paton, who was the first to team up with Milobar, was on a cruise and couldn't make it.

"We’ve been working together and talking together for the last several weeks around doing this exact thing, but we thought we’d be dong on the steps of the Legislature on October 5," Milobar said. "Unfortunately for British Columbians, the premier has decided that he has to call an unnecessary election, avoid scrutiny in the legislature, and do this less than two years into his mandate."

He described the situation as "simply ridiculous," pointing out that were the writ to drop soon, the race would conflict with the municipal elections.

"Let's face it — it's a you-know-what show going on with the BC Conservatives right now," Milobar said when asked whether he's been courting members of his former party. "There's no doubt that was always the plan to remove any and all members that are considered not extreme-right enough."

He pointed out that a lot of his former colleagues will be "making some very serious decisions over the next few hours."

Milobar added that he was "confident" that "as the disintegration of the BC Conservatives that we’re watching in real time continues to happen, more and more people will get behind what we’re building."

Sturko said she was drawn to the party by it's promise of "professionalism," and that she was "enthusiastic" when Milobar called her.

Eby has not ruled out dropping the writ before the municipal elections on October 17, despite warnings from local officials and the Union of BC Municipalities that it would confuse voters and erode democracy.