After a confusing Wednesday in the provincial legislature in Victoria, B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad has resigned and Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford has stepped into the role of interim party leader.
Rustad resigned Thursday morning (Dec. 4) as the leader of the Official Opposition. The day before, Rustad had repeatedly said he was not stepping down after a group of 20 MLAs called for him to quit on Wednesday (Dec. 3). A statement cited section 11.02 of the party constitution, saying the party’s legal counsel had been informed that it no longer has confidence in Rustad as leader because he had been “professionally incapacitated.” By Wednesday evening, the Conservative Party of British Columbia website listed Halford as its interim leader, even as Rustad was continuing to insist he remained at the helm.
On Thursday afternoon, Halford said stability and unity are his focus moving forward.
“It’s something I considered with my family and the people around me closely. I thought that this would be the best way for me to serve, and I’m looking forward to that,” he said Thursday. “I think that we’re going to have some great people step up. … I’m excited about the race itself and I think it’s going to bring great excitement to the party.”
With uncertainty swirling over who the party leader was Wednesday, before Rustad resigned, Halford said the past couple of days have been “crazy,” with his phone buzzing and ringing non-stop, even as he spoke to Peace Arch News, but that his community will always remain his focus as always.
“I’m really grateful to have this privilege and I take it very seriously, but it’s not going to change my focus at home. … I’m always a community-first guy, and I’m excited to have (an) expanded platform to do that,” said Halford. “Stability is the main focus. Keeping our caucus stable, keeping our party stable, and really making sure that British Columbians know that there is a government in waiting, because they are dependent on that. Things have never been worse in this province and people are looking at us, and we’re going to give them that alternative.”
Halford wouldn’t comment on who he would like to see as leader, or if any former Conservative MLAs will potential be invited back to the party, such as now-independent Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko, who was kicked out of the Conservative caucus by Rustad in September, saying those are conversations that will be held in caucus.
“There’s a lot of things that are wrong right now in this province. Whether they’re wait times in the hospital, (the) extortion crisis, how the government’s handling the Cowichan (land title claim) decision … people that know me know that I’m going to be holding the NDP accountable every single day,” he said. “There’s a lot of work ahead, and I’m always up to that task.”