Just one day after the BC Conservative Board of Directors announced they were having John Rustad removed as party leader, he tendered his resignation.
On Wednesday, December 3rd, Rustad was officially removed after a majority caucus vote of no confidence in his leadership.
Following this vote, the board deemed him “professionally incapacitated” and announced Trevor Halford as the BC Conservative’s new interim leader.
Rustad initially decried the announcement of his removal, saying he had no intention of stepping down as leader.
Then, on Thursday, December 4th, Rustad issued a press release announcing he would in fact be leaving, but on his own terms.
“Many of you have had strong opinions about my decision to fight for the soul of this party. And I understand that,” wrote Rustad in a media release.
“I had a responsibility to stand my ground.”
He noted that before he became the BC Conservatives leader, he was an independent MLA who had been kicked out of the BC Liberals for his views.
Rustad added that he chose to cross the floor because he believed British Columbia deserved someone who was willing to challenge climate crisis policies, defend families and stand up for the working class.
“We fought to rescind the carbon tax because British Columbians deserve fairness, not punishment,” noted Rustad.
“We built a movement strong enough to become the Official Opposition, something many said was impossible.”
Rustad says that over the past year he felt he was meeting the challenge of maintaining strong leadership, noting that he hadn’t been aware of concerns over his leadership.
“We made changes. We made course corrections. But as events this week have shown, some of those changes came later than they should have,” said Rustad.
He encourages people interested in the BC Conservatives to register for membership so they can have a say in who the next leader will be in a party-wide election.
“I will be stepping down as Leader of the BC Conservatives, placing my trust, as I always have, where it belongs: in the people of this extraordinary province,” Rustad concluded.
“Because I believe in you. I believe in your strength, your resilience, and your unwavering commitment to a stronger, freer British Columbia.”
As of this publication, Rustad has confirmed he will remain on as MLA for the Nechako Lakes electoral district.
