On the morning of Thursday, John Rustad announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. The announcement came less than 24 hours after he stated that he will not resign, but in that same day a majority of BC Conservative MLAs voted to remove Rustad from leadership. The MLAs stated it was not a “former BC Liberal coup,” but instead they had lost confidence in Rustad as they described him as “professionally incapacitated.”
Rustad said that he was motivated to resign in order to prevent the party from splintering, and he touted the accomplishments he brought as party leader, such as reviving the conservative name brand on the provincial stage and forcing the BC NDP to shift more to the center on key issues such as crime and substance abuse. Rustad is confident that under new leadership the BC Conservatives will win the next provincial election. Rustad will continue to serve as MLA for Nechako Lakes until the next election.
The party governors officially named Trevor Halford, MLA of Surrey-White Rock, as interim leader. Halford commended Rustad as a mentor, and stated that he has no intention of running for party leader himself.
No official timeline has been given for the party leadership race, but it is expected to not take place until 2026.