Rustad faces ‘messy' summer over B.C. Conservative leadership: political expert

CTV News

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B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad speaks to reporters at the legislature in Victoria, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
VICTORIA — British Columbia's Conservative caucus members are meeting in Surrey today in what a political scientist says could be the start of a 'messy' summer for party Leader John Rustad.
It comes as Rustad's leadership is under review and questions arise about his handling of allegations he made in a letter accusing some former Conservative members of the legislature of blackmail.
University of B.C. political science lecturer Stewart Prest says there is no formal mechanism for Conservative legislators to push Rustad out at today's meeting, but it doesn't mean they couldn't do things in a 'messier way' by withdrawing confidence in his leadership.
He says if they say they no longer have faith in Rustad, the leader's options 'are limited about what he can do,' regardless of what the party constitution says.
The constitution approved at the party's most recent annual general meeting in Nanaimo says a leader can only be removed from office after voluntary resignation, death, incapacity or in a leadership review by the membership.
The leadership review is already underway and is expected to last through December, with party members voting on whether they support Rustad in the job, and Prest says he expects MLAs to let that process play out for now.
But Prest says the riding-by-riding vote also creates the 'possibility of an additional drip, drip effect' where Rustad has to continually defend his record.
He says if he were Rustad, he would not be looking forward to the summer.
This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published June 25, 2025.