42nd & Grace

Now the hard work begins.

For those who have been entwined in the internecine conflict that has consumed the Conservative Party of British Columbia it might seem like the end. John Rustad is out, let the healing begin and the guns turn to target David Eby.

If only it were so.

In a post on X after stepping down, Rustad said: 

“Do you want to return to a party that gave you carbon taxes and silence in the face of Ottawa’s overreach?

“Or do you want a party that will defend your freedoms, protect your prosperity, and put British Columbians, and Canada, first?

“This is the choice.”

Putting aside his framing of the issues, he is right: the Conservatives are at a crossroads and the next battle is not just for leadership, it is for soul.

Earlier this fall, before it got really ugly, I said the best choice was for a leadership race. Let Rustad run, let Dallas Brodie run, let others run. Have a debate of ideas. 

The Conservative Party of B.C. caught a wave in the last election and those who stubbornly supported it for years in the wilderness were overwhelmed. The fabled free-enterprise coalition coalesced around the party and put it within touching distance of government.

Not everyone was happy with so many new passengers. People still are not happy – some see opportunists, others see obduracy. A leadership race will exacerbate that.

For the party to be serious about forming government, it needs to allow a space for the unhappiness. What matters after the group therapy session to determine ‘who we are’ is what happens after the leadership race.

Will this be a purity contest or a leadership contest? If a more moderate Conservative wins, will that be accepted? If a more hardliner wins, will that be accepted? There will be people who leave and the party needs to ready for that. Then, if serious about forming government, it will be time to get on with it.

With a membership of just over 6,000, the Conservative Party of B.C. as a vessel is not particularly representative. A leadership race will reinvigorate the party, attracting more members and more perspectives. It will a battle of not just ideas, but salesmanship. You need to sell members and, depending on rules, you need to sell them across the province. Pockets will not work.

This is unfamiliar territory for the party. They have not had a leadership race in a long-time with so much riding on it.

There will be a range of candidates, all debating their Conservative credentials, which is too bad. We saw what happened to Erin O’Toole who sold himself as one thing and did another. It turned out poorly.

The party needs some honest discussion. A traditional leadership race is usually about personalities, who can win; the Conservatives have that element with another thrown in, how they win.

This race is for the heart of a party that currently is not firing on all cylinders. I suspect it is about to get a heart transplant. Prepare for a lengthy recovery period.