Letters, July 7
Glad to see action on vacant homes
Re: Time's up: city mulls crackdown on derelicts (July 4)
I am happy to hear Coun. Cindy Gilroy is trying to move forward on the huge number of vacant houses. Three years is too long. I have waited at least that long for a house across the street from me to be repaired or developed. Winnipeg needs to get on top of this issue, fast.
There needs to be a plan involving all departments of the city, to address each stage of rehabilitating our city centre, from expropriation, remediation, demolition, or redevelopment into new housing, or much needed green space.
Also, the city must address the elephant in the room: the number of vacant commercial buildings in the core. Owners of these properties need to be subject to the same time restrictions.
With foresight, the decay in this city's centre can be reversed, and people can all find homes.
Kathleen Kristjansson
Winnipeg
Take a different approach
Re: Kinew's two options: let Fontaine dig herself out of hole after outburst or fire her (July 2)
I think it's sad that the one part of this story that stuck out the most was that members of equity-deserving groups would have to look at this incident through a lens of 'Well, what are we going to do? Vote for the Conservatives? That would be even worse for us…'
To feel trapped or forgotten or undervalued in the world you share with others, to the point where you have to accept Nahanni Fontaine's comments and actions as the lesser of two evils, should leave everyone trying to figure out just how bad things must really be for those faced with these daily obstacles. It should also signal to conservatives that maybe they shouldn't be trying to push Fontaine any further into the mud than she has gotten herself stuck in, but rather find some way to clean up their reputation within communities that have been hurt or forgotten under their times of getting to hold the reins.
Yes. What she did was horrible. Standing there pointing screaming 'bad thing!' at the top of your lungs won't change that for her or anybody offended by her actions. The PCs aren't fooling anyone by trying to disguise their partisan politics as support for a community. One they will quickly forget about when they eventually get back into power. So maybe try a different approach to the situation. It could actually signal to people they are a party capable of change.
And leave Fontaine and Premier Wab Kinew to figure out what change, if any, they will make as a result of what has happened, and leave it to the voters to feel if that change is enough.
Brian Spencler
Winnipeg
Time to make a real deal
Since U.S. President Donald Trump got elected in the U.S., he has scrapped/walked away from the trade deal between the U.S., Canada and Mexico that he actually agreed to and signed when he was president the first time around. He's instituted tariffs against us.
Prime Minister Mark Carney must insist on some type of ironclad guarantee and assurance that Trump won't scrap any new deal/trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada like he did before.
Can anyone really trust a bona fide liar?
Robert J. Moskal
Winnipeg
Fontaine's comments not so bad
Re: Minister angers deaf community with slight against interpreter (July 2)
We've been taught over the last many years that we should see and refer to the person, not the disability.
Nahanni Fontaine did just that when she spoke her mind about the ASL interpreter that shared a stage with her while speaking at the June 26 event. While lamenting the distraction of having the woman in view during her address, she didn't refer to her as an interpreter, or mention ASL or the deaf members of the audience. She only made it clear that the person was a distraction and should not have been positioned as closely as she was.
To interpret her comments as a slight against the deaf community is quite a stretch, and to suggest that Fontaine should step down or be removed by the premier is ridiculous. Fontaine has apologized — twice.
Nothing to see here folks. Time to move on.
Don McPherson
St. Andrews
Keep ban in place
Re: Mixed reviews for first year of cellphone ban (July 2)
As I read Mixed reviews for first year of cellphone ban, I thought I must recommend to all teachers, parents and administrators to thoroughly read Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation.
What has happened since the release of the iPhone in 2010 is alarming and the statistical proof is there. He speaks about 'discover mode' and ' defend mode' which has been part of mammalian growth for millennia. Phones have the ability to keep youngsters in 'defend mode' to their detriment. The iPhone has been here for only 15 years and we are now seeing the effects on the mental health of Gen Z's children and adolescents.
I think we must continue with the ban at least all the way through middle years with no turning back. That way, no matter what work-arounds our creative and still developing young people figure out on their off school hours, at least they will have a period of the day to learn, and to construct and maintain friendships that are not terminated by the pushing of the 'off' button.
Elizabeth Dorey
Winnipeg
Traffic planning
Re: 'Look south for inspiration' (Letters, July 2)
Perhaps we need to look further afield than North Dakota for road inspiration. I have driven on autoroutes in Europe with 140 km/h speed limit and roundabouts. So easy. Observe the signage, slow to 60 km/h, yield and merge, around and away.
No stop signs, no awkward turning, minimal interruption to the flow of traffic. Would cost more than an RCUT but a lot less than a grade-separated interchange.
Robert Foster
Winnipeg
Room enough for everyone
Re: 'Where can pedestrians walk safely?' (Letters, June 30)
In response to Catherine Collin's letter, I write this in response. I am sorry you were injured entering a store and required a long rehabilitation.
However, regarding your issue with others on the sidewalk besides yourself, I say this.
I am an e-bike rider and for a small portion of my ride from Westwood to downtown, I ride on the sidewalks of Portage to Charleswood Bridge. There is no way I'm riding on Portage with the crazy drivers. Those sidewalks barely have pedestrians and if there are, I ring my bell and say passing on the left loudly for them to hear. I have been ignored by a person using earphones or has their nose in their phone; some like to take up the whole sidewalk.
These sidewalks should be able to be shared, so that we all are safe by splitting them up half and half. One group is not more deserving than the other.
If the biker was your granddaughter, would you want her riding on busy Portage or riding safely on a small patch of sidewalk with a bell to warn of her arrival to pedestrians?
Elaine Stobbe
Winnipeg
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Global News
8 hours ago
- Global News
The battle for the soul of the BC Conservatives
Dave Sharkey still remembers how he felt about the future of the Conservative Party of B.C. when he was part of the delegation that marched in the 2022 Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade. 'There were only four of us,' Sharkey said. 'Two of us were holding the banner, and the other two were handing out candy canes. But the reception was actually surprisingly positive, and it was a kind of experience that led me to believe that in terms of our political ambitions, we were on the right track.' Sharkey, a party member since 2017 and a former provincial candidate for the Libertarian Party, now sees Conservatives on the wrong track. His conclusion comes despite the BC Conservatives coming within a whisker of forming government in October 2024 when 912,000 residents voted for the party that had just under 36,000 votes in the 2020 election. Story continues below advertisement 1:51 Conservative leader accuses political rivals of blackmail Sharkey said he blames the same man others credit for reviving a party that once polled at two per cent: Official Opposition Leader John Rustad. The party's direction and identity are at the heart of a dispute that set off the departure of three members of the legislature and arguments among riding associations. Should it be populist or moderate? Big tent or small? It also comes as party members review Rustad's leadership in accordance with the party's constitution. Rustad became the leader a month after joining the party in March 2023. He had been with the BC Liberals since 2005, but was kicked out in 2022 by then-leader Kevin Falcon. Relations between the rivals then reversed in August 2024, when Falcon suspended the election campaign of his party, rebranded as BC United, following the defections of members to the Conservatives. Story continues below advertisement Now, Sharkey said, the Conservatives have become a rebranded version of Rustad's old party. There was no appetite from the members to be that big-tent party, he said. 'There is an appetite from the members to remain a grassroots party, and if Mr. Rustad wants to be a big tent, start a big-tent party.' He believes Rustad's changes cost the Conservatives the election win, said Sharkey, who considers himself the riding association president in Abbotsford-Mission. The party's executive director Angelo Isidorou said in a statement Monday that Sharkey is neither a member nor a riding association president. 2:20 John Rustad takes aim at former BC Conservative MLAs Domenic Cinalli describes himself as an early supporter and one-time close confidant of Rustad, but said he doesn't like the direction Rustad has taken the party. Story continues below advertisement 'He has abandoned what we all stood for,' Cinalli said. 'He's abandoned the strong stances that we had and it wasn't just John who brought us there. It was all the volunteers and the people who were out there fighting tooth and nail.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Cinalli said he's disappointed about the party changed directions on reconciliation with First Nations and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) programming. 'They have gone more mediocre, more to the middle,' said Cinalli, who is no longer a party member. But for others, the Conservative tent isn't big enough. Ryan Beedie, a prominent Vancouver businessman, said in a social media post last month that the Conservatives will need to 'rebrand to something more inclusive' if they wish to appeal to 'centrist voters' just as Social Credit or the BC Liberals did in the past. A months-long leadership review is underway amid allegations from Rustad that three former Conservative MLAs — Tara Armstrong, Dallas Broadie and Jordan Keely — 'blackmailed' Conservative staff. Rustad first made the allegation in a letter to his caucus without naming the MLAs directly. All three have denied the claims, and have instead accused Rustad of using the allegations to distract from questions about his leadership. While Rustad has since expressed regret for using the term blackmail, his critics have seized on it. Story continues below advertisement 2:11 Ousted Conservative MLA starts new B.C. political party Beedie said Rustad's allegations raise questions about his leadership and the party should use the review to move toward the middle. 'Hopefully, this (review) is a positive step toward the BC Conservatives getting their house in order and shifting their political strategy to a more centrist approach. They will need to do so, or the BC NDP will be staying in power for the foreseeable future.' UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest said the Conservatives consist of a 'populist' wing and a moderate wing, and the current riding-by-riding leadership vote could make for a 'messy summer' with Rustad facing pressure from both sides. 'We are already hearing rumblings of challenges from both camps, so I don't know if it is an either-or situation,' Prest said, when asked which faction was more likely to challenge Rustad for leadership. Story continues below advertisement A central source of criticism concerns the handling of the party's last annual general meeting held in March. The 'Team Rustad' slate swept elections for the party's board of directors. Delegates also approved amendments to the party's constitution as proposed by Rustad. But not everybody has accepted the results, including Armstrong, Brodie and Kealy. Brodie was kicked out of caucus days after the general meeting for comments concerning residential school survivors and Armstrong and Kealy followed her in solidarity. In May, they alleged Rustad and his team 'rigged' the meeting that endorsed the board, claiming it was stacked with South Asian supporters paid 'to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted.' Brodie and Armstrong have since gone on to form their own party, OneBC. Its chief of staff is Tim Thielmann, a former Conservative candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill. After losing the election, Thielmann was fired from his party job as director of research. Thielmann later ran for party president at the AGM, but delegates re-elected current president Aisha Estey. 1:55 BC NDP caucus chair writes to RCMP about blackmail allegations The allegations surrounding the AGM received another airing last month when 50-plus signatories describing themselves as 'executive members or former executive members' of riding associations called on Estey to launch an external audit of the AGM. Story continues below advertisement The letter repeats the allegation that Team Rustad stacked the meeting with paid supporters, but also alleges that delegates were selected and rejected on the 'basis of their political leanings or allegiance to Rustad.' It alleges Rustad and the executive team increased the influence of party executives over the selection process by 'improperly delaying, denying, or withdrawing certification of riding associations,' and placing Rustad loyalists into ridings where they were not residents. Sharkey said he signed the letter because he believed procedures were not correctly followed and he regarded the whole meeting 'to be illegitimate.' Sharkey shared this view in March, when he stood outside the meeting in Nanaimo to protest it, where Aeriol Alderking, another signatory, had joined him. Alderking, who ran federally for the People's Party of Canada in the last federal election, said the AGM was the site of a 'coup' where a 'handful of people' under Rustad's leadership stole the party from 'grassroots' Conservatives. 0:40 MLA Dallas Brodie booted from B.C. Conservative caucus 'Under John Rustad, it has become a centralized BC Liberal Party top down,' she said in an interview. 'The only thing they have done is put a blue coat on a red party.' Story continues below advertisement A statement from the party said the letter is 'signed largely by those who are not even members of the party, let alone (directors).' The 'allegations are just as absurd as the notion of a letter written by non-members, signed mostly by non-members, made to artificially inflate a non-issue for the sake of attention and mudslinging,' it said. Rustad has denied any wrongdoing at the meeting. 'I have been advised by our legal counsel and experts, who were present to scrutinize the voting process that our AGM was 100 per cent in line with this party's 2024-2025 constitution,' he said in the letter containing the blackmail allegations against the three former Conservative MLAs. Rustad said in an interview last month that critics like Sharkey and others 'want this party to be something that it is not.' 'I have said this all the way through the campaign, and I don't know why people haven't heard it — it's not about being Conservative or Liberal, or NDP, or Green. It's just standing for what's right and fighting for the average everyday people. That is the party that we have built,' Rustad said. Conservative member of the legislature Gavin Dew said the current party 'has had incredible success in building a new voter coalition' that includes many more young voters and more voters from different cultural communities. Story continues below advertisement 2:15 B.C. Conservative caucus conflict brewing 'We have made incredible strides with blue-collar voters,' Dew added. 'We do incredibly well with suburban voters. So, we have made all this progress, but it is clear that we still need to win over that incremental voters, which I would say is that middle-of-the-road voter.' If the party holds its current coalition together and adds more 'economically oriented voters' from the middle of the spectrum to this coalition, Conservatives can hold government for 'multiple terms,' Dew said in an interview. Prest is more skeptical. While strong poll numbers now and victory down the line might entice both wings of the Conservatives to put aside their differences, 'there isn't really a stable policy compromise that would make both of those sides happy' in the long-term, he said. 'In some really important ways, the divides between populist and more middle-of-the-road Conservatives are deeper than the divides between middle-of-the-road Conservatives and NDP, ' Prest said.
The Province
9 hours ago
- The Province
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad faces criticism from several sides amid review
The party's direction and identity is at the heart of a dispute that set off the departure of three members of the legislature and arguments among riding associations Published Jul 07, 2025 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 7 minute read B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad became the leader a month after joining the party in March 2023. Photo by CHAD HIPOLITO / THE CANADIAN PRESS Dave Sharkey still remembers how he felt about the future of the Conservative party of B.C. when he was part of the delegation that marched in the 2022 Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'There were only four of us,' Sharkey said. 'Two of us were holding the banner, and the other two were handing out candy canes. But the reception was actually surprisingly positive, and it was a kind of experience that led me to believe that in terms of our political ambitions, we were on the right track.' Sharkey, a party member since 2017 and a former provincial candidate for the Libertarian party, now sees Conservatives on the wrong track. His conclusion comes despite the B.C. Conservatives coming within a whisker of forming government in October 2024 when 912,000 residents voted for the party that had just under 36,000 votes in the 2020 election. Sharkey said he blames the same man others credit for reviving a party that once polled at two per cent: official Opposition Leader John Rustad. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The party's direction and identity is at the heart of a dispute that set off the departure of three members of the legislature and arguments among riding associations. Should it be populist or moderate? Big tent or small? It also comes as party members review Rustad's leadership in accordance with the party's constitution. Rustad became the leader a month after joining the party in March 2023. He had been with the B.C. Liberals since 2005, but was kicked out in 2022 by then-leader Kevin Falcon. Relations between the rivals then reversed in August 2024, when Falcon suspended the election campaign of his party, rebranded as B.C. United, following the defections of members to the Conservatives. Now, Sharkey said, the Conservatives have become a rebranded version of Rustad's old party. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There was no appetite from the members to be that big-tent party, he said. 'There is an appetite from the members to remain a grassroots party, and if Mr. Rustad wants to be a big tent, start a big-tent party.' He believes Rustad's changes cost the Conservatives the election win, said Sharkey, who considers himself the riding association president in Abbotsford-Mission. Domenic Cinalli describes himself as an early supporter and one-time close confidant of Rustad, but said he doesn't like the direction Rustad has taken the party. 'He has abandoned what we all stood for,' Cinalli said. 'He's abandoned the strong stances that we had and it wasn't just John who brought us there. It was all the volunteers and the people who were out there fighting tooth and nail.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cinalli said he's disappointed about the party changed directions on reconciliation with First Nations and sexual orientation and gender identity school materials. 'They have gone more mediocre, more to the middle,' said Cinalli, who is no longer a party member. But for others, the Conservative tent isn't big enough. Ryan Beedie, a prominent Vancouver businessman, said in a social media post last month that the Conservatives will need to 'rebrand to something more inclusive' if they wish to appeal to 'centrist voters' just as Social Credit or the B.C. Liberals did in the past. A months-long leadership review is underway, coming after allegations from Rustad that three former Conservative MLAs — Tara Armstrong, Dallas Broadie and Jordan Keely — 'blackmailed' Conservative staff. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rustad first made the allegation in a letter to his caucus without naming the MLAs directly. All three have denied the claims, and have instead accused Rustad of using the allegations to distract from questions about his leadership. MLAs Dallas Brodie (centre), Jordan Kealy (left) and Tara Armstrong accused party leader John Rustad of 'caving to the woke liberals' at a press conference in March. Photo by Alec Lazenby / PNG While Rustad has since expressed regret for using the term blackmail, his critics have seized on it. Beedie said Rustad's allegations raise questions about his leadership and the party should use the review to move toward the middle. 'Hopefully, this (review) is a positive step toward the B.C. Conservatives getting their house in order and shifting their political strategy to a more centrist approach. They will need to do so, or the B.C. NDP will be staying in power for the foreseeable future.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest said the Conservatives consist of a 'populist' wing and a moderate wing, and the current riding-by-riding leadership vote could make for a 'messy summer' with Rustad facing pressure from both sides. 'We are already hearing rumblings of challenges from both camps, so I don't know if it is an either-or situation,' Prest said, when asked which faction was more likely to challenge Rustad for leadership. A central source of criticism concerns the handling of the party's last annual general meeting held in March. The 'Team Rustad' slate swept elections for the party's board of directors. Delegates also approved amendments to the party's constitution proposed by Rustad. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But not everybody has accepted the results, including Armstrong, Brodie and Kealy. Brodie was kicked out of caucus days after the general meeting for comments concerning residential school survivors and Armstrong and Kealy followed her in solidarity. In May, they alleged Rustad and his team 'rigged' the meeting that endorsed the board, claiming it was stacked with South Asian supporters paid 'to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted.' Brodie and Armstrong have since gone on to form their own party, OneBC. Its chief of staff is Tim Thielmann, a former Conservative candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill. After losing the election, Thielmann was fired from his party job as director of research. Thielmann ran for party president at the annual general meeting, but delegates re-elected president Aisha Estey. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The allegations surrounding the meeting received another airing last month when 50-plus signatories describing themselves as 'executive members or former executive members' of riding associations called on Estey to launch an external audit of the meeting. The letter repeats the allegation that Team Rustad stacked the meeting with paid supporters, but also alleges that delegates were selected and rejected on the 'basis of their political leanings or allegiance to Rustad.' It alleges Rustad and the executive team increased the influence of party executive over the selection process by 'improperly delaying, denying, or withdrawing certification of riding associations,' and placing Rustad loyalists into ridings where they were not residents. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sharkey said he signed the letter because he believed procedures were not correctly followed and he regarded the whole meeting 'to be illegitimate.' Sharkey shared this view in March, when he stood outside the meeting in Nanaimo to protest it, along with Aeriol Alderking, another signatory. Alderking, who ran for the People's Party of Canada in the last federal election, said the meeting was the site of a 'coup' where a 'handful of people' under Rustad's leadership stole the party from 'grassroots' Conservatives. 'Under John Rustad, it has become a centralized B.C. Liberal party top down,' she said . 'The only thing they have done is put a blue coat on a red party.' A statement from the party said the letter is 'signed largely by those who are not even members of the party, let alone (directors).' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The 'allegations are just as absurd as the notion of a letter written by non-members, signed mostly by non-members, made to artificially inflate a non-issue for the sake of attention and mudslinging,' it said. Rustad has denied any wrongdoing at the meeting. 'I have been advised by our legal counsel and experts, who were present to scrutinize the voting process that our AGM was 100 per cent in line with this party's 2024-2025 constitution,' he said in the letter containing the blackmail allegations against the three former Conservative MLAs. Rustad said last month that critics like Sharkey and others 'want this party to be something that it is not.' 'I have said this all way through the campaign, and I don't know why people haven't heard it — it's not about being Conservative or Liberal, or NDP, or Green. It's just standing for what's right and fighting for the average everyday people. That is the party that we have built,' Rustad said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Conservative member of the legislature Gavin Dew said the current party 'has had incredible success in building a new voter coalition' that includes many more young voters and more voters from different cultural communities. 'We have made incredible strides with blue-collar voters,' Dew added. 'We do incredibly well with suburban voters. So, we have made all this progress, but it is clear that we still need to win over that incremental voters, which I would say is that middle-of-the-road voter.' If the party holds its current coalition together and adds more 'economically oriented voters' from the middle of the spectrum to this coalition, Conservatives can hold government for 'several terms,' Dew said. Prest is more skeptical. While strong poll numbers now and victory down the line might entice both wings of the Conservatives to put aside their differences, 'there isn't really a stable policy compromise that would make both of those sides happy' in the long-term, he said. 'In some really important ways, the divides between populist and more middle-of-the-road Conservatives are deeper than the divides between middle-of-the-road Conservatives and NDP, ' Prest said. Local News Local News Politics News News
Vancouver Sun
13 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad faces criticism from several sides amid review
VICTORIA — Dave Sharkey still remembers how he felt about the future of the Conservative Party of B.C. when he was part of the delegation that marched in the 2022 Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade. 'There were only four of us,' Sharkey said. 'Two of us were holding the banner, and the other two were handing out candy canes. But the reception was actually surprisingly positive, and it was a kind of experience that led me to believe that in terms of our political ambitions, we were on the right track.' Sharkey, a party member since 2017 and a former provincial candidate for the Libertarian Party, now sees Conservatives on the wrong track. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. His conclusion comes despite the B.C. Conservatives coming within a whisker of forming government in October 2024 when 912,000 residents voted for the party that had just under 36,000 votes in the 2020 election. Sharkey said he blames the same man others credit for reviving a party that once polled at two per cent: official Opposition Leader John Rustad. The party's direction and identity is at the heart of a dispute that set off the departure of three members of the legislature and arguments among riding associations. Should it be populist or moderate? Big tent or small? It also comes as party members review Rustad's leadership in accordance with the party's constitution. Rustad became the leader a month after joining the party in March 2023. He had been with the B.C. Liberals since 2005, but was kicked out in 2022 by then-leader Kevin Falcon. Relations between the rivals then reversed in August 2024, when Falcon suspended the election campaign of his party, rebranded as B.C. United, following the defections of members to the Conservatives. Now, Sharkey said, the Conservatives have become a rebranded version of Rustad's old party. There was no appetite from the members to be that big-tent party, he said. 'There is an appetite from the members to remain a grassroots party, and if Mr. Rustad wants to be a big tent, start a big-tent party.' He believes Rustad's changes cost the Conservatives the election win, said Sharkey, who considers himself the riding association president in Abbotsford-Mission. Domenic Cinalli describes himself as an early supporter and one-time close confidant of Rustad, but said he doesn't like the direction Rustad has taken the party. 'He has abandoned what we all stood for,' Cinalli said. 'He's abandoned the strong stances that we had and it wasn't just John who brought us there. It was all the volunteers and the people who were out there fighting tooth and nail.' Cinalli said he's disappointed about the party changed directions on reconciliation with First Nations and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity programming. 'They have gone more mediocre, more to the middle,' said Cinalli, who is no longer a party member. But for others, the Conservative tent isn't big enough. Ryan Beedie, a prominent Vancouver businessman, said in a social media post last month that the Conservatives will need to 'rebrand to something more inclusive' if they wish to appeal to 'centrist voters' just as Social Credit or the B.C. Liberals did in the past. A months-long leadership review is underway amid allegations from Rustad that three former Conservative MLAs — Tara Armstrong, Dallas Broadie and Jordan Keely — 'blackmailed' Conservative staff. Rustad first made the allegation in a letter to his caucus without naming the MLAs directly. All three have denied the claims, and have instead accused Rustad of using the allegations to distract from questions about his leadership. While Rustad has since expressed regret for using the term blackmail, his critics have seized on it. Beedie said Rustad's allegations raise questions about his leadership and the party should use the review to move toward the middle. 'Hopefully, this (review) is a positive step toward the B.C. Conservatives getting their house in order and shifting their political strategy to a more centrist approach. They will need to do so, or the B.C. NDP will be staying in power for the foreseeable future.' UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest said the Conservatives consist of a 'populist' wing and a moderate wing, and the current riding-by-riding leadership vote could make for a 'messy summer' with Rustad facing pressure from both sides. 'We are already hearing rumblings of challenges from both camps, so I don't know if it is an either-or situation,' Prest said, when asked which faction was more likely to challenge Rustad for leadership. A central source of criticism concerns the handling of the party's last annual general meeting held in March. The 'Team Rustad' slate swept elections for the party's board of directors. Delegates also approved amendments to the party's constitution as proposed by Rustad. But not everybody has accepted the results, including Armstrong, Brodie and Kealy. Brodie was kicked out of caucus days after the general meeting for comments concerning residential school survivors and Armstrong and Kealy followed her in solidarity. In May, they alleged Rustad and his team 'rigged' the meeting that endorsed the board, claiming it was stacked with South Asian supporters paid 'to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted.' Brodie and Armstrong have since gone on to form their own party, One B.C. Its chief of staff is Tim Thielmann, a former Conservative candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill. After losing the election, Thielmann was fired from his party job as director of research. Thielmann later ran for party president at the AGM, but delegates re-elected current president Aisha Estey. The allegations surrounding the AGM received another airing last month when 50-plus signatories describing themselves as 'executive members or former executive members' of riding associations called on Estey to launch an external audit of the AGM. The letter repeats the allegation that Team Rustad stacked the meeting with paid supporters, but also alleges that delegates were selected and rejected on the 'basis of their political leanings or allegiance to Rustad.' It alleges Rustad and the executive team increased the influence of party executive over the selection process by 'improperly delaying, denying, or withdrawing certification of riding associations,' and placing Rustad loyalists into ridings where they were not residents. Sharkey said he signed the letter because he believed procedures were not correctly followed and he regarded the whole meeting 'to be illegitimate.' Sharkey shared this view in March, when he stood outside the meeting in Nanaimo to protest it, where Aeriol Alderking, another signatory, had joined him. Alderking, who ran federally for the People's Party of Canada in the last federal election, said the AGM was the site of a 'coup' where a 'handful of people' under Rustad's leadership stole the party from 'grassroots' Conservatives. 'Under John Rustad, it has become a centralized B.C. Liberal party top down,' she said in an interview. 'The only thing they have done is put a blue coat on a red party.' A statement from the party said the letter is 'signed largely by those who are not even members of the party, let alone (directors).' The 'allegations are just as absurd as the notion of a letter written by non-members, signed mostly by non-members, made to artificially inflate a non-issue for the sake of attention and mudslinging,' it said. Rustad has denied any wrongdoing at the meeting. 'I have been advised by our legal counsel and experts, who were present to scrutinize the voting process that our AGM was 100 per cent in line with this party's 2024-2025 constitution,' he said in the letter containing the blackmail allegations against the three former Conservative MLAs. Rustad said in an interview last month that critics like Sharkey and others 'want this party to be something that it is not.' 'I have said this all way through the campaign, and I don't know why people haven't heard it — it's not about being Conservative or Liberal, or NDP, or Green. It's just standing for what's right and fighting for the average everyday people. That is the party that we have built,' Rustad said. Conservative member of the legislature Gavin Dew said the current party 'has had incredible success in building a new voter coalition' that includes many more young voters and more voters from different cultural communities. 'We have made incredible strides with blue-collar voters,' Dew added. 'We do incredibly well with suburban voters. So, we have made all this progress, but it is clear that we still need to win over that incremental voters, which I would say is that middle-of-the-road voter.' If the party holds its current coalition together and adds more 'economically oriented voters' from the middle of the spectrum to this coalition, Conservatives can hold government for 'multiple terms, ' Dew said in an interview. Prest is more skeptical. While strong poll numbers now and victory down the line might entice both wings of the Conservatives to put aside their differences, 'there isn't really a stable policy compromise that would make both of those sides happy' in the long-term, he said. 'In some really important ways, the divides between populist and more middle-of-the-road Conservatives are deeper than the divides between middle-of-the-road Conservatives and NDP, ' Prest said.
