A coalition of BC Conservative Party riding association executives, organizers, and candidates is calling on party leader John Rustad to step down.
In a Nov. 7 letter to the Conservative Caucus, several party members from Burnaby, Coquitlam, and New Westminster say the party is failing to connect with voters, membership is declining, and approval ratings have plummeted.
“We write to you not only as local Riding Association board members and organizers, but as individuals deeply invested in the future of both our province and of this movement,” says the letter, which was shared to 1130 NewsRadio by Corey Brooks, president of the Burnaby North riding association of the Conservative Party of BC.
“We hope you will receive these words in the spirit of urgency and loyalty: loyalty to the values we hold dear, and to the many citizens across British Columbia who trust us to defend them.”
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The letter argues that new leadership is necessary to put the party back on a “winning path,” arguing that Rustad’s favourability — estimated at minus 40 per cent in a recent Leger poll — is “shockingly poor.”
“If an election was held today, we would almost certainly lose by an embarrassing and unacceptable margin to David Eby’s NDP despite their track record as the most destructivegovernment this province has ever seen,” it said.
“In order to prevent this, we believe that Caucus must take action to restore effective leadership to our movement.”
The letter also criticizes Rustad’s “delayed, confused, and weak messaging regarding DRIPA and the Cowichan Tribes decision, which together pose a clear and immediate threat toproperty rights for all British Columbians.”
The group is calling for caucus to remove Rustad and appoint an interim leader until a new leadership contest can be called.
“We strongly believe this is the only viable path towards winning the next election and restoring hope in British Columbia’s future.”
This is not the first call for Rustad’s removal. In October, a separate such letter from B.C. Conservative members pointed to a “state of chaos” within the party under his leadership.
— With files from Charles Brockman and Jan Schuermann.