John Rustad has resigned as Leader of the B.C Conservatives and as leader of the official Opposition.
“I am proud of what we have built and proud of the team of Conservative MLAs who now represent communities across British Columbia,” said Rustad in a news release Thursday morning.
Rustad told reporters at the legislature that morning he would remain on as MLA for Nechako-Lakes for now. He said doesn’t plan to run in the next election.
Rustad said staying on as party leader would have meant creating “civil war” within the party.
“What I am encouraging all of our caucus members to do is to set aside their differences and focus on the growth that we need in this party,” he said.
The announcement came a day after the party said a majority of the caucus no longer had confidence in Rustad’s leadership and he had been removed as party leader.
It said the party’s board of directors had passed a motion deeming Rustad “professionally incapacitated” and unable to continue as party leader.
It said Surrey–White Rock MLA Trevor Halford had been selected as interim leader, and a leadership race will take place.
The party statement followed the release of a letter Wednesday morning from a lawyer representing just over half of Conservative caucus members, informing party President Aisha Estey they have lost confidence in Rustad as a leader.
Lawyer Bruce Hallsor said he had received statements from 20 MLAs calling for Rustad to step down.
“I have been asked for the moment to keep the identity of the twenty members confidential,” wrote Hallsor.
Rustad said immediately following the news that he had no plans to step down.
“A political party’s board can throw around whatever creative terminology they like, ‘professional incapacitation’? Give me a break. Let me be clear : That’s not a constitutional mechanism,” Rustad said in a social media post on Wednesday.
According to the party’s constitution, a leader can be removed by resignation, death, incapacitation or a leadership review vote resulting in less than 50 per cent support from party members.
Rustad survived a leadership review over the summer with the support of more than 70 per cent of members who voted in ridings across the province.
A handful of Conservative MLAs told reporters ahead of Question Period on Wednesday they still supported Rustad, and slammed the non-confidence vote that led to his ouster.
Abbotsford-Mission’s Reann Gasper said the move by her Conservative colleagues was “out of order.”
Halford spoke to reporters Thursday morning, flanked by over a dozen supportive caucus members. He said he feels the party is “very united” and ready to move forward.
He lauded Rustad for his contributions to the party, calling him a friend and a mentor.
Halford said he won’t be running in the leadership race, but pledged to support whoever members select.
Rustad’s resignation comes after months of internal party strife and mounting calls for him to step aside. Five MLAs have either left voluntarily or have been booted from the party this year.
Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie was expelled from the party in March after making belittling comments about residential school survivors on a podcast.
Tara Armstrong, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, and Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy left soon after in solidarity. They criticized Rustad’s leadership and alleged the party had become “toxic.”
Brodie and Armstrong later launched their own party, OneBC, while Kealy remains sitting as an Independent.
Elenore Sturko also sits as an Independent, after Rustad booted her from caucus in September. She said Rustad had questioned her support for his leadership.
About a month later, Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee said she would be stepping away from the party to also sit as an Independent, and called for Rustad to step down.
She accused Rustad of using intimidation to prevent caucus members from organizing against him.
Halford declined to say whether he believes MLAs who have left the Conservatives over the past year might be welcomed back into the party. He said he wants to leave major decisions to the future elected leader.
Responding to questions about whether he was concerned the NDP might capitalize on the party’s turmoil to call an early election, Halford said the party is focused on being election-ready at all times.
Premier David Eby said Wednesday his party does not want an election, but said they would be ready for one.
Stewart Prest, political science lecturer at the University of British Columbia, said he’s not surprised Rustad stepped down.
“He has essentially lost the party,” said Prest. “I think him resigning is him finally bowing to that inevitability and seeing the writing on the wall. But he has done considerable damage to the party reputation on his way out.”
Prest said the party will now have to work hard to restore the confidence of voters.
“That kind of chaos really makes them almost a non-starter for many voters as a real alternative to the NDP government,” he said.
Prest said the party will also have to navigate a leadership race that is likely to be highly contentious between the more centre-leaning faction of the party and members who are at the further end of the right-wing spectrum.
“Those are incredibly deep divides to try to bridge in a leadership campaign in a way that allows both sides to see themselves in the party when the dust settles and a leader is chosen,” said Prest.
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