BC Conservative leader John Rustad has added to his growing list of political troubles after telling CBC Radio that some members of his caucus “may not believe in democracy.”In an interview with host Chris Walker on Daybreak South, Rustad was pressed on why he took the step of muzzling his MLAs during a contested vote that would have exposed the divides within his caucus after he promised them free votes earlier in the week..“I’m sorry that we have a leadership review process that allows for all the members, including caucus members, to vote as to whether or not there needs to be a change of leadership,” he said.“Everybody had that opportunity... There was a process that went on for about five months, giving people right across this province who are members of this party an opportunity.”When asked whether he would name the caucus members he was referring to, Rustad declined.“Of course not,” he told Walker.“But if there are some people who decide that their vote is more important than any other member’s vote in this party, you know, they should come forward and say that.”Rustad said his position was simple — the constitution of the BC Conservative Party sets out a process for leadership review, and that process must be respected.“We have a process. I believe in democracy, and we follow that process,” he said.When Walker pressed him further, asking how he could lead a caucus he described as not believing in democracy, Rustad backtracked..Rustad fires longtime BC Conservative staffer over tweet.“Well, I shouldn’t say they don’t believe in democracy,” he said.“That’s what I said, but what I meant by that is some people feel that there should be a different process for leadership review, and that’s just not what our constitution says.”The comments underscore ongoing tensions within the Conservative caucus as it prepares for the next provincial election. Rustad has repeatedly played down caucus dissent as a sign of growing pains in a party that had zero elected members before he took over in 2023. Since the election in Oct. 2024, the BC Conservatives have lost four MLAs.This isn’t the only controversy that has struck Rustad and the BC Conservatives recently.Long-time staffer Lindsay Shepherd was fired on Oct. 1 for a tweet that discussed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the debate around unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School.The Western Standard has reached out to the BC Conservatives for comment.
