Victoria – There has been plenty of talk around potential new leaders for the BC Conservatives after John Rustad was dethroned. While names like Peter Molobar and Bruce Banman have risen to seek the top job, there has been speculation on what Rustad would do.
Another shot at the leadership is now out.
NOTE: On May 30, the Conservative Party of British Columbia will announce a new leader, following an election process.
Early February 15, Rustad released this to social media:
First, I want to thank my wife. She has been my rock through all of this. She has carried the weight that public life puts on a family, and she has done it with steady strength, patience, and love. I could not do any of this without her, and I do not take that for granted.
I also want to thank the supporters across British Columbia who stepped up in a big way. People signed up, organized, made calls, and were ready to help in every practical way, including financially. Many of you were prepared to invest in a leadership run because you believe in the future of this party and the future of this province. I am grateful for that support, and I do not dismiss it lightly.
After a lot of reflection, I have decided that I will not be entering the leadership race.
This decision is not about the importance of the moment we are in. It is exactly because this moment matters that I am making it. British Columbia needs a Conservative Party that is united, focused, and ready to form government. The best thing I can do for the party, and ultimately for the province, is to support the next leader and help ensure we come out of this process stronger, not divided.
The stakes for British Columbians are too high for distractions, personality fights, or internal noise. Families are getting squeezed harder every month, and too many people feel like their government has stopped listening. Health care is under strain. Public safety is a growing concern. Communities are asking why the basics are slipping and why problems that should have been dealt with years ago are still getting worse. The NDP has had every opportunity to fix what is broken, and British Columbians are living with the consequences of that failure.
I love this province. I believe in the people who build it, raise families in it, and keep it running. British Columbia is worth fighting for, and the fight ahead is bigger than any one person. It is about restoring competence, respect for taxpayers, and confidence that government can do the fundamentals properly again.
In the days ahead, I will be encouraging our members and supporters to stay engaged, stay focused, and rally behind whoever earns the responsibility of leading this party forward. We need to be ready to defeat the NDP and deliver real change for British Columbians.
John Rustad
MLA, Nechako Lakes
