Former BC Conservative leader John Rustad says the snap election was called to defend the government rather than its record and that he will not seek re-election in October.
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Former British Columbia Conservative leader John Rustad says he believes the New Democrats did not expect their decision to call a snap provincial election two years early to energize the opposition movement, and he has confirmed he will not run again in the Oct. 24 election.
In a statement, Rustad said he is “grateful” for the opportunity to represent the riding of Nechako Lakes and its equivalent since 2005, calling it among the “most rewarding times” of his life. He said he has been in B.C. politics for more than two decades and is choosing not to be a candidate for re-election.
Rustad also endorsed interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, describing him as “a quality individual.” He criticized Premier David Eby for calling the election, arguing Eby’s decision was motivated by the need to “save his job” rather than to defend what Rustad characterized as the NDP’s record.
According to Rustad, the election call nevertheless produced unity among Conservatives after a period of major internal disruption. He said an exodus of members from the Conservative caucus occurred under former party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, but that Findlay’s resignation on the weekend and the election call prompted many members to return.
Rustad, who previously served in the former B.C. Liberal government as a cabinet minister, said he was later removed from the opposition caucus in 2022 for reposting information on social media criticizing climate change science. He said he joined the Conservatives the following year as the party rose rapidly toward the brink of power.
Rustad’s account places the Conservatives’ change in momentum at the 2024 provincial election, when the party won 44 seats after having none in the 2020 election and receiving less than two per cent of the vote then. He said he played a role in moving the party from political obscurity to government-in-waiting, before being ousted last December.
In the same statement, Rustad urged other Conservatives to “build a British Columbia worthy of the people who live here, and the children who will inherit it.” With Rustad stepping aside from candidacy, the interim Conservative leadership and the party’s reconfigured caucus become the central political face of the opposition campaign as voters head to the polls on Oct. 24.
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