Former B.C. Liberal turned Independent John Rustad seeks Conservative leadership

A former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister turfed from the party caucus last year for his climate change views says he's running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

John Rustad, who has been sitting as an Independent in B.C.'s legislature, says he wants to build a grassroots coalition of supporters under the Conservative banner to offer an alternative to the current New Democrat government and Opposition Liberals.

A Conservative leadership vote is set for May 28, with former leader Trevor Bolin serving as interim leader until the vote. Bolin does not hold a seat in the legislature. The party received about 36,000 votes in the last provincial election — less than two per cent of all votes cast.

Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon said he dumped Rustad from the party caucus last August for his public statements and social media posts suggesting climate change is not caused by carbon dioxide emissions.

At the time, Rustad told CBC News he believed global climate policies designed to reduce carbon emissions were doing "real harm," and it was important for him to speak out about them.

Rustad, who says he's pro-freedom, pro-trucker and is fighting to end vaccine mandates, says he expects the Conservatives under his leadership to challenge the NDP and Liberals.

The Vanderhoof-Nechako Lakes MLA, who once held the forests and Indigenous relations cabinet posts in former Liberal governments, announced last month he was joining the B.C. Conservatives.

"I really don't think of this being more political from a perspective of being left-wing politics or right-wing politics, I really think it's a party that needs to be more about right and wrong,'' Rustad said in an interview.

Rustad was first elected to office in 2005 as a representative for the riding of Prince George-Omineca, which was later dissolved and replaced by the current Nechako Lakes riding.

Under then-premier Christy Clark, he served as minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation and, later, of forests, lands and natural resource operations. 

Before his removal from caucus, Rustad served as forestry critic for the B.C. Liberals.