John Rustad stepped down as the leader of the B.C. Conservatives Thursday, less than 24 hours after he said he would be doing no such thing.
The party’s caucus released a statement from Rustad, touting the accomplishments under his leadership while saying the focus must remain on fighting the governing B.C. NDP.
South Peace MLA Larry Neufeld said he has nothing but respect for Rustad and thanked the former leader for his tireless service to British Columbia.
“The BC Conservative Party in it’s current form would not exist without his incredible efforts,” said Neufeld.
The announcement came after a chaotic day at the legislature Wednesday, with the party declaring Trevor Halford interim leader on account of Rustad being deemed “professionally incapacitated.”
“British Columbia needs a strong and unified opposition that is ready to hold this government to account and defeat it,” Rustad wrote.
“I invite everyone who sees the NDP as a threat to their livelihood and to the dreams of a prosperous British Columbia to join us in the coming weeks and months as we chart a new path forward.”
Rustad, in a now-deleted post to social media, responded by saying he had no plans to resign and had not been removed.
“I am not going anywhere,” he wrote, before taking the seat of the leader of the Opposition in Wednesday afternoon’s legislative session.
Rustad was ousted from the BC Liberals in 2022 over comments questioning the science of climate change, and announced he was joining the B.C. Conservatives the following year.
For months, he was the party’s only MLA.
After a number of high-profile defections from BC United, formerly the BC Liberals, the Conservatives had eight seats in the legislature when the last provincial election was called.
The party would go on to win 44 seats and become the official Opposition after BC United folded and fielded no candidates.
“When I began this journey, our party had not elected an MLA to the British Columbia Legislature since 1975,” Rustad’s statement said.
“We started with very little, but we built a movement grounded in common sense, hard work, and love of this province. Together, we came within one seat of forming government.”
But the party has been plagued by division and infighting since, with a handful of members either leaving or being ousted—reducing the seat count to 39.
The MLA’s who were fired by Rustad or quit the party because of his leadership, like Jordan Kealy, will not be invited back until a new leader is chosen and makes a decision to do so.
Rustad said while he is stepping down as leader of the party, he will continue to serve as an MLA. He said he will not seek re-election.
With files from Lisa Steacy CTV Vancouver