Defecting B.C. United MLAs put aside past Conservative criticism

The B.C. Conservative Party added a third MLA who defected from the B.C. United Party this week — and all of them have said they put aside their differences to join the upstart party and defeat the ruling NDP.

On Monday, Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko became the latest United MLA to cross the floor and join the Conservatives, following Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson last week and Bruce Banman last September, as polls show increasing support for the party led by John Rustad.

As a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community — who has previously been called a "woke, lesbian, social justice warrior" by Conservative candidate Paul Ratchford — Sturko faced tough questions over how she could reconcile her positions with that of Rustad and her new party base.

In fact, Sturko has gone on record calling for Rustad to apologize for social media posts appearing to compare residential schools to 2SLGBTQ+ education in schools and for calling 2SLGBTQ+ a "lifestyle." 

But the MLA said she has been able to put aside their differences in order to exist in a "big tent" centre-right party, aimed at defeating the ruling B.C. NDP.

"I've not abandoned the LGBTQ+ community. I'm part of it," Sturko told reporters who questioned whether she was being opportunistic. "I'm going to say this: that in a big tent, there's room for everybody.

"John [Rustad] and I have had plenty of discussions about working together. We can continue to talk about the things that divide, but the reality is we need to find that common ground and work together." 

It's a line that other defectors have used and could make October's provincial election interesting for anyone wanting to vote for a right-of-centre party.

Asked about the attacks she previously faced from the Conservative candidate, Sturko said she talked to Ratchford on the weekend, and he apologized for his comments.

Rustad also said he had spoken to Sturko about the attacks she faced and attributed it to tempers flaring up — but added that he and Sturko were now on the same page when it came to forming a "broad coalition" and defeating the NDP.

Doerkson also expressed something similar when asked about Rustad's beliefs last week — specifically around climate change.

The Conservative leader has attracted controversy for questioning the science behind climate change — something that originally got him tossed from the B.C. United Party when it was known as the B.C. Liberal Party.

On the party's official website, a quote attributed to Rustad says while the climate is changing, British Columbians are not facing a threat, nor is it the most pressing issue.

That stance could be seen as at odds with Doerkson's views expressed in an interview with CBC Radio West host Sarah Penton on Friday when he said he has personally witnessed the impacts of climate disaster