BREAKING: Another BC Conservative riding demands Rustad resign immediately
The leadership of yet another Conservative Party of British Columbia riding association is calling on leader John Rustad to step aside.
The leadership of yet another Conservative Party of British Columbia riding association is calling on leader John Rustad to step aside, citing a loss of confidence, declining donations and irregularities in a recent leadership review vote.
In a statement signed by the riding’s president and vice president and released on Tuesday, the Saanich South Riding Association said Rustad’s refusal to resign has caused a drop in donations, stagnant public support and the dissolution of several riding associations.
The group warned that the party risks ceasing to exist as a viable political force without a leadership change.
“We fear the Conservative Party of British Columbia may cease to exist as a viable political force unless Mr. Rustad steps down or is removed as Leader,” reads the letter.
True North attempted to reach the BC Conservative caucus for comment but calls went unanswered.
“We fully support the members of the Management Committee of the Provincial Board who, in their letter dated October 21, 2025, urged Mr. Rustad to resign,” the statement adds. “That letter, signed by a majority of the elected Party executive, reflects what we believe to be the views of the vast majority of Party members, Riding Associations, and their executives.”
The association also urged the party’s management committee to declare the August-September 2025 leadership vote void and schedule a new one. They cited low turnout — just 1,268 votes out of more than 8,000 members — along with last-minute changes to voting locations and unannounced schedules.
It similarly highlighted reports of over 2,000 questionable memberships created using identical email addresses and paid for with three credit cards, with no assurance that those responsible have been held accountable.
“Mr. Rustad has lost the confidence of the Conservative movement in British Columbia,” the statement added. “The Party remains in disarray. It is well past time for a leadership change so we can restore unity and purpose.”
The Conservative Party of British Columbia once positioned itself as a viable alternative to the NDP government led by Premier David Eby in the recent provincial election.
Since then, Rustad has resisted numerous calls to resign. The push for caucus to remove him as leader began with an open letter dated Nov. 7, signed by more than a dozen leaders primarily in the Tri-Cities and Burnaby-New Westminster areas, including presidents of the Burnaby North and Coquitlam-Burke Mountain riding associations.
By Nov. 18, the effort had expanded to include 30 current and former riding association board members from across the province. New signatories were from areas such as Saanich South, Surrey-Panorama, Peace River North, Penticton-Summerland and Nanaimo-Lantzville.