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.
Premier David Eby said during his weekly news conference that the Opposition faces "significant challenges" regardless of who leads them, saying it has "far-right politics" that are extreme.
"The Conservatives will continue to focus on what appears to be important to them, which is mostly the Conservatives," Eby said.
The Conservative leadership review is already underway and is expected to last through December, with party members voting on whether they support Rustad in the job.
Prest said he expects MLAs to let that process play out for now.
But Prest said the riding-by-riding vote also created the "possibility of an additional drip, drip effect" where Rustad had to continually defend his record.
"There's not one particular way this rule may play out, but I would think, if I were Mr. Rustad, I would not be looking forward to the summer," Prest said.
He added it is not clear whether any future leadership challenger to Rustad would come from the "populist" or moderate wings of the party.
"We are already hearing rumblings of challenges from both camps, so I don't know if it is an either-or situation," Prest said.
He said that the recent emergence of the One BC party, launched by former Conservative MLAs Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong, speaks to a growing unwillingness among populists to compromise.
"So I think that is likely to continue," Prest said.
As for the moderate camp, its members would focus on the question of whether Rustad can win government, Prest said.
"If there isn't a sense that Mr. Rustad can pull everyone together, they too will join the calls for him to step aside and let someone else try," Prest said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
