John Rustad, the leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party, is facing intensified internal pressure to step down from his position. The presidents of five key riding associations within Metro Vancouver have publicly demanded his resignation, signaling a deepening crisis within the party.
Riding Presidents Issue Demand
On Monday, November 11, 2025, the party presidents for the Burnaby East, Burnaby North, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, Coquitlam-Maillardville, and New Westminster-Coquitlam riding associations released a joint letter calling for a leadership change. These five ridings are currently held by the governing BC NDP.
The letter delivered a stark message, stating that the success of our party depends on caucus acting with courage and conviction to initiate a leadership renewal. It further argued that only new leadership can put our party back on a winning path.
Party in Decline: Membership and Funds Dwindle
The letter from the riding presidents outlines specific concerns about the party's health under Rustad's leadership. It points to two critical areas of decline: falling party membership numbers and a decrease in fundraising efforts.
Furthermore, the letter claims that Rustad's popularity has fallen since the last provincial election, where the party experienced a surprising surge, coming within three seats of forming the government. The internal critics warn that if an election were held today, the party would lose by an embarrassing and unacceptable margin to Premier David Eby's NDP.
Erosion of Caucus and Leadership Vote
The pressure on Rustad is compounded by a significant erosion of his caucus. Since the election, five Conservative MLAs have either left the party or were expelled. The departures include:
- Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong, who went on to form the new right-wing party called OneBC.
- Jordan Kealy, Elenore Sturko, and Amelia Boultbee, who now sit as independent MLAs.
This latest challenge to Rustad's authority comes just months after he was reconfirmed as leader in a September vote. In that internal process, 70 percent of the 1,268 party members who cast ballots voted to keep him in the leadership role.
The current rebellion is not an isolated incident. Last month, the majority of the party's own executive management committee also called for Rustad to resign. When approached for comment on the letter from the riding presidents, Rustad declined to respond.
