MLA John Rustad ousted from BC Liberals after climate change spat
An MLA from northern British Columbia has been booted from the BC Liberals, one day after he was publicly criticized by the party’s leader for denying the role of carbon dioxide in climate change.
Opposition leader Kevin Falcon announced John Rustad's ouster Thursday – on the Nechako Lakes representative's birthday, according to his Facebook page – citing the need for elected officials to "work co-operatively on the important issues facing our province."
"Like any team, our caucus operates on a foundation of mutual respect and trust. While a diversity of perspectives are encouraged and a source of strength, they cannot exist without that important foundation in place," Falcon wrote.
"Following a pattern of behaviour that was not supportive of our caucus team and the principles of mutual respect and trust, I have removed MLA John Rustad from the BC Liberal Caucus effective immediately."
Speaking to CTV News over Zoom, Rustad said he believes climate change is real, despite disagreeing the crisis should be addressed by limiting carbon dioxide emissions, an approach that’s been adopted by governments around the world.
"The BC Liberal Party doesn't seem to be as inclusive as it was, and that to me was a challenge," the now-Independent MLA said. "We need to see a party that represents all of British Columbia and that accepts those views, and be able to have vigorous debate."
Rustad noted that he has "no ill feelings" toward either Falcon or his former party.
The backlash he faced this week came from a Facebook post he shared that cited Patrick Moore, a vocal critic of the environmental movement who is often labelled a climate change denier.
The post read, in part, that "the case for CO2 being the control knob of global temperature gets weaker every day," and ended with the hashtag #CelebrateCO2.
Falcon responded to the post Wednesday with a message stressing that Rustad “does not speak on behalf of caucus on this issue,” and that the BC Liberals support “substantive climate action.”
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emissions of greenhouse gases – including carbon dioxide – are driving the global crisis, leading to more wildfires, more frequent extreme weather events and other costly catastrophes.
Rustad was first elected as a BC Liberal MLA in 2005, and was appointed the party's opposition critic on forests, lands and natural resource operations in 2017.
He has previously come under fire over his stance on climate change. Last April, Rustad took umbrage when carbon dioxide was referred to as pollution in the provincial legislature.
"Now, I’m sorry. I get what the language and the rhetoric is. Carbon dioxide is an essential component of life on this planet. It is not a pollution. That sort of misinformation out there is just ridiculous," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.