John Rustad has officially stepped down as leader of the BC Conservatives.He made the announcement at the legislature on Thursday morning.."I am stepping down as the leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia," Rustad said. "I will be remaining as an MLA, and carrying out the work that needs to be done with regards to representing my riding of Nechako-Lakes.".He went on to note that he made the decision to step down to avoid a "civil war," arguing that if he allowed that to play out, he'd be shifting the focus from issues that impact British Columbians to himself.In a press release, Rustad provided more details."I know many are concerned by what they saw yesterday, but I want to assure every member and supporter of the caucus and the party that this was not a hostile takeover by BC Liberals," Rustad declared. "We remain a Conservative party, committed to a vision of a common-sense Conservative government in BC. I invite everyone who sees the NDP as a threat to their livelihood and to the dreams of a prosperous British Columbia to join us in the coming weeks and months as we chart a new path forward."He made it clear that BC "needs a strong and unified opposition that is ready to hold this government to account and defeat it," and that he has "full confidence in our caucus.""I am deeply grateful to my wife Kim for the sacrifices she has made," Rustad concluded. "I'm grateful to our staff for their commitment and to the people of British Columbia for the privilege of serving as the leader of the Official Opposition."More to come...
