Former Liberal cabinet minister John Rustad acclaimed leader of B.C. Conservatives
The newly acclaimed leader of British Columbia's Conservatives whose climate change views prompted his expulsion from the Opposition Liberals says he's building a grassroots coalition for voters who don't support the province's left-of-centre direction.
John Rustad, a former Liberal cabinet minister who has been sitting in B.C.'s legislature as an Independent since last year, said Friday his Conservatives will offer an option to voters concerned about high taxes, freedoms and life's challenges.
“People have a sense that something's not quite right, and whether it's in our health care system or whether it's the crime on the street, whether it's affordability or just people trying to get on with day-to-day life, they are not happy,” he said in an interview on Friday.
“With the two options, which are both basically left-of-centre, the B.C. Liberals and the NDP, they are not really offering the kind of option that I'm hearing from people that they want to see,” said Rustad, speaking by phone from the side of the highway on the way to his home in Vanderhoof, about 100 kilometres west of Prince George.
Rustad, 60, who represents the riding of Nechako Lakes, was acclaimed Conservative Party of B.C. leader as the only candidate in the race.
He replaced former leader Trevor Bolin, who had been serving as interim leader.
“A year ago, I would never have thought that I would be doing this,” said Rustad. “But I must admit I'm very excited about taking on the leadership. I think the potential for a new coalition party in this province is enormous.”
Opposition Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon said earlier he dumped Rustad from the party caucus last August for his public statements and social media posts suggesting climate change is not caused by carbon dioxide emissions.
Rustad, who once held cabinet posts in forests and Indigenous affairs in former Liberal governments, announced last month he was joining the B.C. Conservatives, who received less than two per cent of the vote in the 2020 provincial election.
“The reason I'm in this is because the (Liberal) party removed me,” he said. “They kicked me out. We'll see how things go.”
Rustad said he will work to bring people together in an effort to build a grassroots movement of supporters in time for the fall 2024 provincial election.
Political scientist Hamish Telford said the Conservatives in B.C. will likely remain a minimal force, but they could cause political damage in tight ridings where constituencies lean to the right.
“I think it's very unlikely the B.C. Conservative Party is going to become a major player in B.C. politics over the next while and into the next election,” said Telford, who teaches at the University of the Fraser Valley. “But they don't have to become a very big force at all to be a factor.”
He said in the 2020 B.C. election, where the NDP formed a majority, Conservative candidates siphoned votes from Liberal candidates in tight ridings in the Fraser Valley and Interior that were won by the NDP.
“That suggests there was some vote-splitting going on on the right making life more difficult for the B.C. Liberals,” said Telford.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.