In a stunning political reversal, John Rustad has officially resigned as the leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party. His resignation, submitted to caucus on Thursday morning, caps a dramatic 24-hour period of internal party revolt that saw a majority of his own MLAs and the party board move to oust him.
A Swift and Dramatic Coup
The crisis began on Wednesday morning when a letter, signed confidentially by 20 of the party's 39 MLAs, was delivered to party president Aisha Estey. The letter, sent by lawyer Bruce Hallsor of Crease Harman LLP, stated that a majority of the caucus had lost confidence in Rustad's leadership.
Initially defiant, Rustad appeared before reporters to state he had no intention of stepping down. He cited his recent leadership review, where he claimed to have received 71 per cent support from a record turnout. “I’m moving forward as the leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia,” he declared, arguing that the party constitution only allowed for removal via a leadership vote, resignation, death, or incapacitation.
The Board's Decisive Move and Constitutional Clash
The party board, however, swiftly countered Rustad's interpretation. By early Wednesday afternoon, they ruled that the loss of support from a majority of MLAs rendered the leader ‘professionally incapacitated’, a provision they argued allowed for his removal. Concurrently, the caucus held a vote and announced South Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford as the new interim leader.
This set the stage for extraordinary scenes in the B.C. legislature. While most Conservative MLAs urged Rustad to depart quietly, a small group of loyalists, including caucus chair Jody Toor and deputy whip Reann Gasper, insisted the process was out of order and that Rustad remained leader. Rustad himself argued the board was misreading the constitution and using “creative terminology.”
Chaos in the Chamber and an Inevitable End
The confusion was palpable. Trevor Halford expressed uncertainty about his own status, telling reporters, “we’re trying to figure that out.” As the winter session wrapped up, Rustad entered the chamber and sat in the leader’s chair one final time, while Halford entered flanked by roughly a dozen supportive caucus members. The situation remained unresolved by the day’s end.
By Thursday morning, however, the political reality had become clear. Facing an insurmountable revolt from his own caucus and the party's governing body, Rustad submitted his formal resignation, accepting what had likely become inevitable. The 24-hour drama concluded with Trevor Halford firmly installed as the interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives, marking a sudden and significant shift in the province's political landscape.
