British ColumbiaB.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has survived a leadership review with 71 per cent support. He needed more than 50 per cent support from party membership to stay on as leader.MLA Elenore Sturko kicked out of B.C. Conservative caucus, following leadership review resultsKatie DeRosa · CBC News · Posted: Sep 22, 2025 5:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 23B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said he believes the result of the leadership review has given him a mandate to lead. (Tom Popyk/CBC)B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has survived a review into his leadership, with nearly 71 per cent support. Rustad won the vote in 78 out of 93 ridings in B.C., the party said in a press release. He lost in 10 ridings, tied in three, and no votes were cast in two ridings. “I think the members have clearly spoken,” Rustad told reporters outside the legislature. “I’m confident I have the confidence of the party membership to be able to go forward and defeat the NDP in the next election.” A total of 1,268 B.C. Conservative party members had their say on Rustad’s leadership. That’s out of the 8,000 total party members. Rustad said he’s pleased with the voter turnout. “I think it’s a strong mandate going forward.”WATCH | Rustad passes leadership vote: John Rustad receives 70% support in leadership reviewVoting is now finished in the leadership review for B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad. The party says members voted 70 per cent in favour of keeping him as leader. CBC’s provincial affairs reporter Katie Derosa spoke to Dan Burritt about the result and its impact on Rustad’s future. Under the party’s constitution, Rustad needed more than 50 per cent support to remain as leader. Public safety critic booted from caucusA few hours after the results came out, B.C. Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko was kicked out of caucus, as confirmed by B.C. Conservative caucus chair Jody Toor and caucus spokesperson Brad Zubick.”Change is never easy,” said Toor. “And losing one of your colleagues is something you don’t want.”Toor could not say why Sturko was removed from caucus.Sturko was first elected in a 2022 by-election in Surrey South as a member of the B.C. Liberals, later renamed to B.C. United. As B.C. United support floundered, Sturko crossed the floor to join the BC Conservatives in June 2024.Riding-by-riding reviewSince June, Rustad had been undergoing a leadership review from his party’s members — which saw members cast their votes on a riding-by-riding basis, as opposed to voting at a large convention.WATCH | Allegations emerge amid leadership review: John Rustad’s B.C. Conservative party leadership questionedA review of John Rustad’s leadership of the B.C. Conservative party has led to allegations of fake membership sign ups and ballot stuffing. As CBC’s Katie DeRosa reports, it’s caused more infighting within the Official Opposition. The leadership review is mandated under the party’s constitution because Rustad lost the October election. The review, however, had been marred by allegations of voter fraud. Each of those new members provided the same email domain and fake phone numbers and their membership fees were all purchased using three credit cards, according to two party sources, whom CBC News has agreed not to name because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.LISTEN | Banman backs Rustad amid voter fraud controversy: The Early EditionB.C. Conservative Party Whip speaks about allegations of fake sign-ups during leadership reviewMembers of the B.C. Conservatives are having their say in the leadership review of John Rustad. The process has been marred by allegations of ballot stuffing and fake memberships. The party says more than 2,000 sign-ups were cancelled over concerns they were fraudulent. Voting on Rustad’s leadership will be complete by Saturday.To look ahead to that, we’re joined by the B.C. Conservative Party Whip, Bruce Banman. The party disqualified those memberships and insisted that votes would be cast by members in good standing. The sources also told CBC News that three people connected to the irregular memberships resigned from their roles within the party and had their party memberships revoked. Rustad faced an organized opposition campaign from a group based in the Okanagan, who sent messages to B.C. Conservative supporters encouraging people to vote against him. CBC News obtained one of the text messages, which reads: “There are 2 questions on the ballot about John Rustad’s leadership and we’re encouraging members to vote NO on both.”WATCH | B.C. Conservative leader to face scheduled leadership review amid infighting: B.C. Conservative leader to face scheduled leadership review amid infightingThe B.C. Conservative party has launched a leadership review into John Rustad. It comes as Rustad struggles to control infighting within the conservative movement. Our Katie DeRosa has been looking into this. The fraud allegations have deepened existing divisions within the party, which is a coalition of B.C. Conservatives and former B.C. United MLAs. During an unrelated press conference in Victoria before the results were released, Anna Kindy, the Conservative MLA for North Island, said she has confidence in Rustad’s leadership. After Rustad spoke with reporters, Toor, who is the party’s MLA for Langley-Willowbrook, shouted from an office inside the legislature: “Congratulations, John.” MLAs will gather for a caucus meeting in Victoria Monday night to discuss the vote results. Several sources tell CBC News that regardless of the results, some MLAs and B.C. Conservative members are readying leadership bids.ABOUT THE AUTHORKatie DeRosa is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC British Columbia. She is based in Victoria. You can contact her at katie.derosa@cbc.ca.
John Rustad survives B.C. Conservative leadership review with 71% support
