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
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.