FORT ST. JOHN -- Less than two months ahead of a provincial election, momentum is gaining among the BC Conservatives.
The latest Mainstreet Research poll shows the party leading the NDP by three points amongst decided voters.
"I think people in British Columbia are looking for change and they're looking, quite frankly, for an alternative that's going to be putting people first rather than elitism and politics," said John Rustad, BC Conservative Party Leader, in an interview with CJDC-TV.
A website claiming to be created by members of the BC Conservatives is calling for the leader to step down for his "abandonment of conservative values."
"We've been investigating. We've come up and discovered who we believes the culprit is, a contractor, quite frankly, that is associated with another political party," said Rustad.
The accusations pointing the finger at candidates, who like Rustad, crossed party lines to join the conservatives.
Rustad now plans to use the full extent of the law to prosecute the culprit after they gained unauthorized access to a membership list blasting the website in an email.
"It has nothing to do with the conservatives themselves. As we collect all this information we'll be sending it over to the authorities, and I suspect they will be following up based on the laws in this province," said Rustad.
Former BC Conservative leader Trevor Bolin says it is important that politicians adapt to changing times as he too felt the sting of ‘the old conservative guard.’
"The problem with the conservative party, both British Columbia and federal, is that they tend to eat their leaders," said Bolin, who adds the opinion might not be a favourable one.
Last year, Rustad succeeded Bolin who stepped down for personal reasons following a nearly four year tenure.
"John's path forward from where I was is completely different and mine would be from his," said Bolin.
The Fort St. John city councillor says what Rustad has been able to accomplish is no small feat but would not endorse any candidate.
"I think that if you're going to cross party lines, i think that you should do it during an election. You know, a lot of the people who vote for you, yes, they vote for you, but they also vote for the party stance on issues,” said Bolin.
If Rustad wins the election in October, it would mark 91 years since a conservative party formed government in BC.
