John Rustad ‘Removed’ as BC Conservative Leader, Party Says, but Rustad Says He’s Not Stepping Down

The Conservative Party of B.C. says John Rustad has been “removed” as party leader and an interim leader has been chosen. Rustad disputes this assertion by the party board members.

A majority of the party caucus “no longer has confidence” in Rustad and considers him “professionally incapacitated” and thus unable to continue serving as party chief under the party constitution, according to a statement from the party.

“Having received this notice, the Board of Directors passed a motion certifying that Rustad is, per section 11.02, professionally incapacitated and unable to continue as Party Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia,” says the party’s Dec. 3 statement.

Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford has been selected as interim leader per a caucus vote.

Twenty members of the 39-member caucus said they want Rustad out as party leader, according to a letter posted to social media from lawyer Bruce Hallsor to Aisha Estey, the president of the Conservative Party of B.C.

Reacting after the decision to remove him on Dec. 3, Rustad said that no legitimate “constitutional mechanism” has been used to remove him and he still intends to serve as party leader.

“I have not resigned, I have not been removed, and I am not going anywhere. A political party’s board can throw around whatever creative terminology they like, ‘professional incapacitation’? Give me a break,” Rustad posted Dec. 3 on X. “Let me be clear : That’s not a constitutional mechanism.”

Rustad had said earlier on Dec. 3 that he wouldn’t resign in the face of calls from some party executives for his removal. He referred to passing a leadership review this past September, and said he can only be removed if he resigns, dies, is incapacitated, or fails a leadership review.

Leadership Review

In the Sept. 22 leadership review, Rustad won in 78 of 93 party ridings, with 70.6 percent of members voting to support his leadership. Rustad said the vote gives him “a mandate to lead,” adding that members “are hungry for an unapologetic common sense Conservative government.” Turnout for the vote was 1,268 of roughly 9,000 party members.

The party constitution allows leaders to be removed if support drops below 50 percent. Shortly after the results of the review were released, MLA Elenore Sturko was ejected from caucus without a stated reason, saying she was “blindsided” by her removal. This was followed by another departure from party by MLA Amelia Boultbee in October.

Party president Estey along with six other members of the party’s management committee asked Rustad to resign in October, saying he had weakened the party’s credibility with his leadership and contributed to turmoil and a rapid decline in poll numbers among B.C. voters. Rustad rejected these assertions, saying he will stay on as leader.

Rustad’s Leadership

Rustad was removed from the B.C. Liberal caucus three years ago over reposting a social media post calling into question human-caused climate change.

He became the leader of the B.C. Conservatives in 2022, overseeing a rapid rise and leading the party to become the province’s official Opposition following historic election gains last year.

His leadership has centred on opposition to carbon pricing and promoting resource development and economic growth for B.C., while pushing for increased public safety and reversal of harm-reduction drug policies.

Internal Strife

The B.C. Conservative Party has dealt with considerable internal strife in recent months, including the departure of five MLAs.

In addition to Sturko’s ouster in September, former B.C. Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie was expelled from the party this past March for comments she made regarding Canadian residential schools. She was joined in solidarity by former B.C. Conservative MLAs Tara Armstrong and Jordan Kealy. Armstrong and Brodie subsequently started the new OneBC party in mid-June, while Kealy chose to sit as an independent.

MLA Boultbee quit the party Oct. 20 to sit as an independent, saying Rustad lacked integrity in responding to concerns over the probity of September’s leadership review and offering to potentially come back to the party if he stepped down.

Rustad responded by saying Boultbee was suffering from mental health difficulties.

Headlines were also made in October when Rustad fired communications staffer Lindsay Shepherd over critical comments she made about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Last year’s election ushered 44 B.C. Conservative MLAs into the provincial legislature. However, the departure of Armstrong, Brodie, Kealey, Sturko, and Boultbee has left the party with 39 seats. The province’s governing NDP has 47 seats.

The Epoch Times contacted Rustad for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.