B.C. Conservative members grapple with the future direction of the big tent party
CBC
As the B.C. Conservatives settle into their role as the Official Oppositon after decades in the political wilderness, more than 750 party members gathered this weekend to decide on the direction of the party.
The party's annual general meeting was held in Nanaimo, a provincial NDP stronghold, which sparked a quip from former B.C. Conservative candidate Tim Thielmann.
"It's one of the wokest, most hostile environments in the province," said Thielmann, one of the members who unsuccessfully challenged current president Aisha Estey to lead the party's board of directors.
The goal of the meeting is to elect the future board of directors and decide on policy objectives for the upstart party, which went from capturing two per cent of the vote in 2020 to coming within three seats of toppling the governing B.C. NDP in the 2024 election.
Despite that historic rise, the meeting exposed deep divisions between the right-leaning flank of the party and the centrists who joined following the collapse of B.C. United, formerly known as the B.C. Liberals.
Some members are unhappy with John Rustad's leadership, claiming he's watering down Conservative values.
"I've talked to so many of you in the last couple of months and many of you are concerned," Thielmann said.
"We don't want this party to become a top-down NDP-style regime, where a small group of people with their circle of friends run it for everyone else," he added.
Incumbent Estey made her pitch to remain party president amid a challenge from four other members, including Thielmann, David Busch, David Splett and Jeffery Rettmer. She held onto that position, and Rustad's preferred slate won the remaining board seats.
"The difference between myself and the others is under mine and John Rustad's leadership, the party went from two per cent [vote share] to 44 MLAs," Estey told the crowd. "I will never let this party become B.C. Liberal 2.0."
Estey was asked by reporters whether she's concerned about calls by some members for Rustad to resign.
"In any party when you don't win government, there's going to be those discussions and people are going to want leadership reviews and that's part of being a political party," she responded.
"The pressure to perform is there. And it's all about results."
Rustad said the party welcomes diverse opinions, which is why he's allowed his MLAs to vote with their conscience in the legislature.
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