Alise Mills is a Vancouver-based strategic consultant and conservative commentator.John Rustad has always been a great British Columbian. For the better part of the last 25 years, he’s served with dedication. From defending our forests, individual property rights, and our freedoms, to standing up for rural communities, and working to protect the values many in this province hold dear. His conviction is real. His contributions are undeniable. That makes what’s happening now all the more disappointing.Just over a year ago, the BC Conservatives were a political afterthought, hovering near statistical irrelevance. Today, they’re the Official Opposition. That’s no small feat, and John Rustad played a significant role in getting them there.But leading a movement is very different from holding it together. And for long enough, Rustad has been doing neither. .EDITORIAL: LGB breaking free from the rainbow alphabet soup.This week’s internal caucus drama, sparked by the abrupt ousting of MLA Elenore Sturko, didn’t just expose fractures; it was the final gust that blew the roof off the House of Rustad. In a remarkable turn, I heard that one of the most socially conservative members of caucus, Dr. Anna Kindy, publicly rebuked Rustad, accusing him of “cancel culture” in respect to Sturko’s ousting and demanding that diverse views be respected, which I am sure also speaks to the previous ousting of MLA Dallas Brodie. In my opinion, Dr. Kindy is absolutely right, and most importantly, she wasn’t alone in her views. When your own ideological allies are calling you out for stifling dissent, that’s not just a bad look. That’s a leadership crisis, and one that cuts directly against everything Rustad has claimed to stand for. This is a man who once pushed back against the then BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell in a bold and ill-fated caucus revolt and, thanks to a leader who understood what leadership takes (ego aside), was graciously accepted back into that caucus. Years later, he was ejected from the BC United Party (then BC Liberal) by what I assume is current leader Kevin Falcon for refusing to toe the party line — which Rustad was right to do. Rustad built his political identity on challenging authority and defending independent thought. Now, under his leadership, the BC Conservatives are punishing exactly that. And it’s not an isolated case..It’s no secret that discontent and serious questions about John Rustad’s leadership have been brewing behind closed caucus doors and in members’ kitchens for months. Contrary to his testimony, this isn’t about one MLA or one faction. It’s not just BC United refugees or frustrated pundits. From ardent social conservatives to libertarians to populists to pragmatic fiscal conservatives, a broad mix of voices inside the BC Conservative Party are losing patience with what they see as a heavy-handed, but obviously directionless, and too often a perplexing leadership. From hiring former NDP insiders and attack dogs to his staff — to whom many federal and provincial Conservatives experienced slanderous and aggressive personal attacks during successive provincial and federal elections — to sending mixed messages on core issues, Rustad has left many wondering not just how he plans to lead — but what, exactly, he stands for.Rustad claims treason when it comes to Elenore Sturko, but the question his rightful predecessor, Gordon Campbell, would be asking is why are so many members of his caucus telling him they don’t support him? Leadership isn’t about eliminating dissent; it’s about managing it..HILTON-O’BRIEN: Is public education dying?.From being a 16-year-old intern to growing into spokesperson, pundit, and advisor, I’ve seen this movie before. During former Premier Gordon Campbell’s leadership after massive seismic political wins, during those middle years in its marriage with caucus and members, a hum of disenfranchisement began. But if every ambitious or outspoken MLA had been shown the door, the party would have ceased to function. You can't build a government by purging your way to harmony.This is more than an HR issue — it’s a foundational one. The BC Conservatives surged just prior to the last writ being dropped, but that rise is owed as much to external factors and strategic advisors as it does to anything John Rustad has done. The long-overdue collapse of the BC United brand opened the door. Pierre Poilievre’s federal momentum gave the party a tailwind. The recruitment of star candidate and former RCMP officer Elenore Sturko, who brought with her a baked-in, vote-rich Surrey base just weeks before the last provincial election, was a game-changer. Even Premier David Eby’s endless stream of scandals hasn’t helped Rustad define himself: under Eby’s watch, a nearly $6 billion surplus flipped into a historic $12 billion deficit (while growing), while key industries and our best and brightest struggle or flee this province. Amid all this, a handful of seasoned former federal Conservative ministers and advisors stepped up, offering Rustad their time, insight, experience, and money. That opportunity has been squandered..Then there’s the budding stars from the BC Conservative Caucus — Jody Toor and Harman Bhangur — and while they’re newbies, they delivered. The last legislative session proves they have a gutural instinct for not only what British Columbians crave but where this province is and are learning how to bridge their base in their own unique way. They’re newbies, and from what I know about this leader’s staff, they and their own staffs have been drummed into compliance. This isn’t what their voters want to hear. How they navigate through this requires a spine.I won’t devalue Rustad’s contribution because he built a pretty nice coalition, but what is forgotten while he’s directed by NDP advisors telling him otherwise is that he needs to heed the tenets of an unelected leader and the rules of political gravity those like him must adhere to. While he was both the balm and the spark that the BC Conservatives needed, he seems to have forgotten not only the DNA of the party he leads but also what happens when a leader simply steps in and refuses to build consensus. But John has never been okay with just agreeing to consensus, and while I understand this, he prefers a fight even if there’s no one in the room who wants the fight. .THOMSON: If the West has its way, Palestine will be Afghanistan 2.0.The coalition that Rustad helped bring together is coming apart. And the only responsible way forward is a full, open leadership race — the kind the party loves to talk about in theory but now needs in practice.Let Rustad run again on his vision of libertarian conservatism. Let others from within or outside the caucus put forward their own visions. Let the members decide what kind of party this should be because we’re looking at another BC NDP government by the numbers. Two or possibly three right-of-centre parties? For goodness’ sake, no. Give the BC Conservative Party a chance, and then let British Columbians decide. A true leader, good British Columbian, would understand this and step aside.This is not just a matter of caucus management. It's a question of credibility. If the BC Conservatives want to govern one day, they’ll need to prove they can govern themselves first.Alise Mills is a Vancouver-based strategic consultant and conservative commentator.
