B.C.’s newly-minted Conservative opposition leader set the battle lines Tuesday for the re-elected NDP government’s next term in office.
In his first public comments since the final election count confirmed a razor-thin NDP majority government, a combative John Rustad said his party wouldn’t hesitate to try and bring the government down should it carry on with its “destructive policies.”
“All the way through the campaign, David Eby was a habitual liar,” Rustad told reporters.
“That’s who he is, that’s his personality. I will certainly be looking to call him out in the legislature as we move forward.”
Rustad lauded his team of 44 elected MLAs, which he described as a historic accomplishment given that two years ago the party was polling at two per cent and had no one in the legislature.
He said he thinks voters had spoken “very loudly and clearly” about changes they want to see and their expectations for the government.
Rustad said he would be willing to work with the NDP on any policies they put forward that dovetail with Conservative priorities.
He pointed to examples such as pushing the federal government for tougher bail reform, hiring more judges, speeding up the prosecution of repeat offenders and scrapping the carbon tax.
Rustad said he would also press the government to ensure it held to its promise to expand involuntary care for people with severe mental health, addiction and brain injury issues.
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“If there are things that will move forward that will improve those lives for those people we will be looking at supporting it,” he said.
“But if he is going to carry forward with the destructive policies he has, then yes, we are going to look at every opportunity to bring him down as soon as possible.”
Rustad said the opposition would continue to oppose SOGI-123, the package of school resources designed to fight bullying and ensure tolerance of LGBTQ2 people, and which opponents have claimed amounts to “indoctrination” and the “sexualization” of children.
“Parents should have a right,” he said.
“It’s their right to be able to raise their children, it’s their right to know what’s happening with their children in education.”
Rustad said he would also pressure the government on what he called a lack of support for the forestry and broader resource sectors, and on speeding up permitting in the housing sector.
Asked about a surge of online commentary questioning the integrity of the B.C. election process as officials conducted the final vote count, Rustad thanked Elections BC workers and said the party accepted the election outcome.
But he stopped short of calling on supporters not to spread accusations about Elections BC or the election being “rigged.”
“People have the right to say what they are going to say,” Rustad said.
“From the Conservative party perspective, from my perspective, we accept the results that have been presented to us from Elections BC.”
Rustad also splashed cold water on the prospect of one of his MLAs serving as speaker of the legislature, suggesting the option would only be on the table of the NDP was willing to “move forward with significant parts of our agenda.”
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