John Rustad has dismissed concerns that the BC Conservative caucus is divided following a series of events that hinted at a lack of unity.
His comments come just days before the party is set to hold its annual general meeting, its first since becoming the official opposition.
"What family in this province doesn't have issues or divisions in it?" Rustad told reporters in Victoria on Tuesday. "The question is what is it that unites us, not what divides us."
Since the election, there have been a number of internal struggles within the party.
In December, 13 BC Conservative MLAs sent a letter to Rustad urging him to ask their colleague, Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko, to apologize for comments she made in response to posts shared by ousted Vancouver Police Board co-chair Comfort Sakoma. While Sturko refused, Rustad paid a visit to Sakoma's home and shared a meal with her as a gesture of solidarity.
More recently, five BC Conservatives MLAs voted against what was supposed to be a unifying motion introduced by the BC NDP to condemn Donald Trump's tariffs and commit to a "Team Canada" response. The remainder of their colleagues voted for the motion.
After that, Rustad asked Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie to remove a social media post in which she defended a lawyer facing criticism for pointing out that no child burials have been confirmed at the Kamloops Residential School. Her refusal to do so split the party, with some coming to her defence and others criticizing her.
Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Á'a:líya Warbus came out against those who focus on whether burials at residential schools are confirmed or not, though she did not name Brodie.
"Physical evidence is one aspect you can hyper focus on," she wrote in a post on X, "and yes, you will be called a denier — because what is the end goal of your argument? It does not change what happened in these schools and the results we see with our own eyes today, suicide, poverty, addiction, children in care and the incarcerated."
Former BC Conservative candidate Bryan Breguet was among those who said Rustad's handling of the Brodie situation was cause for his replacement as leader of the party.
There is, however, no mechanism for a leadership contest at the upcoming annual general meeting.
The gathering is set to be held in Nanaimo on March 1-2. It will include reports from the party's top brass, debates and voting on the constitution and policies, board elections, panel discussions, and guest speakers.