The Western Standard has learned from credible sources inside the Conservative Party of British Columbia that leader John Rustad is working with federal Liberal operatives to gin up support amid mounting pressure on him to step down.Among them is Bruce Clark, a federal Liberal organizer and the brother of former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark..EXCLUSIVE: Fifteen more BC Conservative Riding Association board members demand party find new leader.According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Rustad recently flew to Vancouver and spent the day with Clark, who has a decades-long history of lobbying and fundraising for the federal Liberals. Sources said that upon arriving in Vancouver, Rustad and Clark headed down to Surrey, where they met with other federal Liberal organizers in the South Asian community.Rustad confirmed to the Western Standard that he meets with Clark "every couple of months," but that he was "not going to confirm or deny" specific interactions. He noted that Clark is "a player in Surrey" with a good understanding of "what's going on" in town, adding, "I don't even talk to him about where his loyalties federally are.."I meet with people right across the spectrum," Rustad noted. "This isn't about being Conservative, or Liberal, or NDP, or Green — it's about standing for what's right. I'll work with anybody."He went on to explain that he has always wanted the BC Conservatives to "draw support from both the federal Liberals and federal Conservatives, because that's who the centre-right party in British Columbia always is."Sources told the Western Standard that during recent fundraisers and meetings in downtown Vancouver, Rustad said that he wanted to distance himself from the federal Conservatives, telling people that being associated with Pierre Poilievre was hurting his party's image among certain segments of the population.Rustad denied saying anything of the sort.When asked if he has any issues with Poilievre, he said, "absolutely not."The sources alleged that Rustad's goal is to pad the membership with loyalists ahead of the next annual general meeting, with one claiming he wants to expedite the process via a special general meeting at which board elections will be held. .The next AGM is scheduled for 2027, but if a certain percentage of members sign a petition, he can force an SGM. As of now, he does not have the support to do that. The sources claimed that Clark had been tapped to lead the mission to recruit new pro-Rustad members.Rustad called the allegations "misleading, and quite frankly, a little bit of bullsh*t," noting that a "small group ... hellbent on wanting to take me out as leader are feeding half-truths and misinformation to try to achieve that.""It's no secret that I've asked the management committee to resign," he said, "so I'm going to be looking for a group of adults that are going to be interested in moving this party forward."Some members of the current board, who were endorsed by the leader and elected as "Team Rustad" at the annual general meeting in March, have since changed their minds on his leadership.Party president Aisha Estey, for example, recently signed a letter alongside other Management Committee members calling on Rustad to step down, citing "unprecedented levels of turmoil" within the party.Stacking the membership is not unheard of in party politics, however, Rustad has been criticized as of late following a scandal during his leadership review involving hundreds of memberships that were disqualified due to their questionable origin.
