Speculation about who will lead the B.C. Conservative Party was again swirling on Saturday as one of the party’s highest profile members refused to comment on rumours he has withdrawn support for the current leader John Cummins.
The party’s only sitting MLA John Van Dongen crossed the floor from the B.C. Liberals to join the Conservatives last winter.
At a party meeting on Saturday, Van Dongen wouldn’t comment on rumours he thinks someone else could do a better job leading the party.
“(I’m) not going to get into that right now,” he said. “See us at the AGM.”
The party’s annual general meeting is coming up at the end of the month and may now include a vote on Cummins’ leadership.
Opinion polls show the party is doing well, but some party members have privately expressed dissatisfaction with its leadership.
But Cummins said he isn’t worried.
“I’m not concerned about it, I’d obviously like to have unanimous support, but that is just not reality,” he said. “I try to look at the positive and I understand that getting unanimous consent on anything is virtually impossible in this world.”
Cummins’ troubles are good news for the governing Liberals, who have seen the Conservatives steal some of their base.
The party will hold its AGM later this month in Langley.
Cummins said, until then he’ll be trying to convince his party members he is the best man for the job.
With files from CTV British Columbia’s Ed Watson
