Political shift underway in B.C., says confident Conservative Leader John Rustad
Premier David Eby and Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon are looking over their shoulders at the political gains being made by the new kid on the block, says British Columbia Conservative Leader John Rustad.
His upstart two-member Conservative caucus has stirred debate and changed dialogue at the legislature, and the party appears to be gaining momentum with voters as the scheduled fall election approaches, Rustad said Wednesday at a news conference.
Some recent polls suggest the Conservatives, who received less than two per cent of the vote in the 2020 election and did not win a seat, would finish second if an election were held now.
Rustad, who became Conservative leader last March after being dumped from the BC United caucus in August 2022, said he's heard from members of the business community who are lobbying for a Conservative-BC United merger to counter the NDP, and he's not ruling out some form of talks.
“We're prepared to actually have discussions,” he said. “I'm not sure what that could look like. I wouldn't certainly say that there is anything imminent about to happen, but a week can be a long time in politics.”
Rustad said the Conservatives have caused Eby to express “anxiety” about the party and forced Falcon to change policy, especially with regards to the province's carbon tax.
“As the Conservative Party, I think we've changed the dialogue,” he said. “You've seen a massive shift in terms of where the United policy is and what they're doing, quite a flip-flop actually.”
BC United, who introduced B.C.'s carbon tax in 2008 when the party was named the B.C. Liberals, now plans to dump the tax completely if a federal Conservative government is elected in Ottawa, he said.
Rustad was ejected from the BC United caucus for posting on social media comments from an outspoken climate change denier. He said recently he believes climate change is real but that carbon taxes can't “change the weather.”
He said the Conservatives are pulling together a broad coalition of voters, and the party will serve as an alternative to both the New Democrats and BC United.
The other Conservative member, Bruce Banman, was also elected as a BC United candidate before switching parties.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.