'Loopy', 'whacky' or a 'big blue tent'? Growing pains for Rustad's B.C. Conservatives

B.C. Conservative Party leader John Rustad speaks to members of the media in Victoria, B.C., on Dec. 6, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito)

When BC United staged a news conference in Victoria last week, party officials turned up with a prop — a literal tinfoil hat, emblazoned with a B.C. Conservative Party logo and the words "5G Resistant Endorsed by John Rustad."

On Tuesday, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon followed up by saying the B.C. Conservatives "are at risk of becoming a conspiracy party, not a Conservative party."

It's not just the official Opposition taking aim at the political upstarts led by Rustad — who was dumped from BC United when it was known as the BC Liberals — ahead of the Oct. 19 provincial election.

Last week, Premier David Eby called on Rustad to explain "how it is that consistently he is putting forward candidates that embrace and promote conspiracy theories."

The B.C. Conservatives received less than two per cent of the popular vote in the 2020 provincial election, but now are challenging Eby's New Democrats to possibly form government, far eclipsing BC United in every recent poll.

But the party's expansion hasn't been smooth, with critics highlighting views shared by some of the party's slate of candidates. They have included likening 5G technology to "genocide" and a "weapon," and calling Pride participants "degenerates."

Political observers anticipate more bumps as the party tries to catch up to its rapid surge in popularity.

Campaign strategist Allie Blades at Vancouver's Mash Strategy, said she expects voters to look more at Rustad as a potential premier and political power broker than at the activity of individual candidates this fall.

"People are voting for the brand of the party and the leader," she said. "Do you think the leader can make a good premier? Do their (party) values align with mine?"

 

Blades, who worked with BC United on the party's rebranding from the BC Liberals, said the Conservatives may experience more "hiccups" in the run-up to the election and during the campaign.

"But for the most part John Rustad's the one who has to stay on course with his key messages," she said.

Prof. David Black, a political communications expert at Greater Victoria's Royal Roads University, said the speed at which the Conservatives bolted onto the political scene, coupled with the equally rapid decline of BC United, has become the political story of the past year in B.C.

"The Conservatives have gone from being a hobby for a few disgruntled organizers who found the BC Liberals insufficiently conservative to a party that at the very least will form the official opposition and could at best form power, all in the space of a year and a half," he said.

The B.C. Conservatives were not immediately available for comment, but Rustad has said previously he wants the party to be a "big blue tent" and intends to field a full slate of 93 candidates.

"We want to bring everybody together we can to defeat this NDP government in October," he said.

One of the candidates helping fill that tent is Rachael Weber in the Prince George-Mackenzie constituency. Weber has previous shared social media content about the "5G Genocide."

In a 2021 Facebook post she voiced concerns about "microchips," cashless payments and the threat of "total government dependency / control" by saying "the anti christ comes before the rapture."

Eby's New Democrats last week called her "loopy" while BC United issued a series of news releases about her "whacky" remarks.

"I think it would be helpful for Rustad to come out and explain why his candidates believe that cellphone towers cause COVID-19 and are genocidal weapons," Eby said.

Eby also raised concerns about Bulkley Valley-Stikine candidate Sharon Hartwell who used social media to praise leaders of the "Freedom Convoy" movement, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who are on trial in Ottawa, accused of mischief, intimidation and counselling others to break the law. Hartwell called them "an inspiration."

Among other current and former Conservative candidates raising BC United concerns — Paul Ratchford in Vancouver-Point Grey who previously called legislator Elenore Sturko (now a star recruit for the Conservatives) a "woke lesbian"; Stephen Malthouse, a suspended doctor who was removed as a candidate in Ladysmith-Oceanside after repeatedly saying COVID-19 vaccines were more dangerous than the illness; and Damon Scrase who dropped out as Courtenay-Comox candidate after the emergence of deleted posts in which he called some Pride parade participants "degenerates."

Veteran B.C. United MLA Mike Bernier, who represents the deeply Conservative Peace River South riding in the Dawson Creek area, said Rustad's concept of a big tent appears to be an open door to people with extremist views.

"Rustad's idea of a big tent party is, 'I don't care if you have crazy conspiracy theories where you think the earth is flat or 5G is part of the antichrist and some of those weird things we've been hearing,' " Bernier said in an interview. "John's idea is I'll let people have crazy ideas. That's his idea of a big tent."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.