You know the old saying about absolute power? Well, in the rough-and-tumble world of BC politics, John Rustad seems to have taken it as a how-to manual. As leader of the BC Conservatives, he's built a reputation not just for bold policies, but for a quick trigger finger when it comes to staff and MLAs who dare to voice opinions that clash with his own. It's a style that's left the party looking more like a one-man show than a vibrant conservative coalition. And in a province where conservatives have long struggled to unite against the NDP's grip, this "my way or the highway" approach isn't just risky — it's a recipe for self-sabotage.Take the recent case of Lindsay Shepherd, a longtime communications officer for the BC Conservative caucus and an elected board member since 2022. She posted on X about the orange flag flying outside the legislature in Victoria, calling it a "disgrace" and questioning narratives around residential schools, like the Kamloops discovery that turned out to involve no actual graves. Shepherd, 32 weeks pregnant and on the cusp of maternity leave with two young kids at home, got the boot. She announced it publicly, saying the tweet was the sole reason. That's not a gentle nudge out the door. That's a shove, especially for someone who's been a loyal hand in the trenches..“The BC Conservatives are giving so much power to the other side,” said Shepherd, “and the other side is actively seeking their downfall.” She went on to say she loved working for the BC Conservatives at the legislature, calling it an “honour.” “It is painful to know that probably the majority of the government and the staffers who occupy it on a daily basis are people who trash British Columbian history, who trash Canadian history,” she added. “They want to believe the worst about our province and our country rather than seek truth.” .Shepherd then took aim at the party’s handling of the situation. “I expressed a viewpoint that many conservatives hold and I worked for a conservative party. Even conservative parties are intolerant of certain viewpoints, and they will still, in 2025, bow down to leftists … and they will do what those people tell them to do rather than stick up for their own.”.But Shepherd's ouster isn't an isolated flare-up. Back in March, MLA Dallas Brodie found herself expelled from the caucus after comments on a podcast where she pushed back against what she saw as exaggerated claims in the reconciliation debate. .EDITORIAL: Alberta takes charge: Time for a new pipeline to the West Coast.Brodie didn't mince words, insisting that zero bodies were found in Kamloops and slamming the "multi-billion dollar reconciliation industry" as a threat to public wealth. Rustad cited her for mocking survivors' testimony, but Brodie stood firm, vowing to keep speaking truth one word at a time. Her removal sparked a chain reaction — two other MLAs, Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong, bolted the party in solidarity, citing Rustad's leadership as too willing to cave to "woke" pressures. Suddenly, what started as one disagreement ballooned into a full-blown exodus.Then there's Elenore Sturko, perhaps Rustad's highest-profile casualty. The Surrey-Cloverdale MLA, a former RCMP officer known for her straight talk, got the heave-ho in September right after Rustad survived a leadership review. He claimed it was about preserving unity, accusing her of plotting against him. Sturko fired back, saying her "socially liberal beliefs" were being muzzled in a party increasingly intolerant of internal debate. She didn't see it coming, but in hindsight, it fits the pattern. Cross the boss on key issues, and you're out. Reports of broader infighting have swirled for months, with members grumbling about Rustad's direction — too populist for some, too rigid for others. As one insider put it in July, the party's soul is up for grabs, pitting big-tent moderates against hardliners. .This isn't leadership. It's a straight up purge. Rustad's defenders might spin it as tough love to keep the ship steady, but let's face facts — conservatives thrive on debate, not diktats. Think back to the glory days of federal Tories under Harper, where a diversity of voices from fiscal hawks to social conservatives hammered out policies that won elections. Or closer to home, the old BC Liberals managed to hold together a motley crew of free-enterprisers by allowing room for disagreement without immediate exile. Rustad's approach? It smacks of the very authoritarianism conservatives railed against in Ottawa under former prime minister Justin Trudeau and so far continued under Mark Carney.Why does this matter? Because political parties aren't cults; they're supposed to be forums where ideas clash and the strongest emerge. Shutting down dissent on thorny topics like residential schools — where evidence shows initial claims of mass graves haven't panned out — only hands ammo to the left. Brodie and Shepherd weren't peddling wild conspiracies; they were echoing questions raised by journalists and historians about unverified narratives that fuel division. By firing them, Rustad signals that even evidence-based pushback is off-limits if it ruffles feathers. That's not conservative; that's cowardly..OLDCORN: Truth and Reconciliation Day: A national farce masquerading as mourning.And the fallout? The BC Conservatives, once surging in polls, now face an election with a fractured base. Defections like Kealy's and Armstrong's weaken the bench, while Sturko's exit alienates urban voters who liked her blend of law-and-order grit with progressive touches on LGBTQ issues. Rustad might tout unity, but forced conformity breeds resentment, not loyalty. As the NDP chuckles from the sidelines, watching the BC Conservatives eat itself, one wonders if Rustad's iron fist will grip victory or just squeeze the life out of his own movement.Conservatives in BC deserve better — a leader who builds bridges, not burns them. Diversity of opinion isn't a bug; it's the feature that makes us resilient. If Rustad keeps treating disagreement as disloyalty, he risks turning a promising resurgence into yet another footnote in the province's long history of centre-right meltdowns. Time to loosen the reins, John, before the whole team heads for the exits..Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
