premier david eby attacks b.c. united and b.c. conservatives over merger talks
kevin falcon and john rustad put to bed rumours that port coquitlam mayor brad west would be the leader of a merged centre-right party.
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the last day of the spring legislative session also marked the unofficial start of the provincial election campaign, with the premier turning merger talks between the b.c. united and b.c. conservatives into an attack line. premier david eby addressed the merger speculation thursday morning during his final speech to the b.c. ndp caucus before the oct. 19 election.
“powerful interests are trying to arrange a marriage of convenience between downtown lobbyists working for the wealthiest british columbians … to protect their interests,” he said. “well, i’ve got a message for those lobbyists and for john rustad and kevin falcon. the next election will be decided at the kitchen table. not at the boardroom table.”
eby also brought up rumours that port coquitlam mayor brad west is being tapped to lead a merged centre-right party during a debate with falcon in the legislature wednesday night. eby asked falcon if west is “going to email his questions to the (b.c. united leader) and then read them out to me?”
port coquitlam mayor brad west.
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west acknowledged he’s been approached by some in the business community who want him to lead a merged centre-right party. he has also been approached by parties across the political spectrum, for example, in 2022 to challenge eby for the b.c. ndp leadership and more recently to run as a provincial candidate and in the 2025 federal election.
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“i did have people from … the business community in the province who encouraged me to run provincially, asked me if i was interested in running for a new party, showed me some polling that said i would do well,” west told postmedia news thursday.
west said he’s firmly ruled out any sort of role in the upcoming election. he lost his own dad when he was just 10 years old, which is why he said he wants to focus on being present for his two sons, seven-year-old liam and three-year-old owen.
meanwhile, rustad and falcon on thursday both said they have no intention of stepping aside as leaders of their parties.
“i have no intentions of not leading the b.c. conservative party into the next election,” rustad said.
rustad said he initiated conversations with west in september to court him as a b.c. conservative candidate in the port coquitlam riding. that would pit west, a former ndp staffer, against his former boss, public safety minister mike farnworth.
when west visited the legislature this spring, farnworth introduced him as “the best mayor in canada” and endorsed him as the next b.c. ndp mla in that riding: “i hope at some time he follows in my footsteps and takes over when i decide to retire — which is not just yet.”
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“i think he would make a great mla,” rustad said. “what i told him is, should we win government, at some point, obviously, i’m not going to be leader of the party. and there’ll be an opportunity for him to run after the leadership and i encouraged him to do that from within the party.”
falcon said anyone who has approached him and rustad about a potential merger have similar concerns: “please, please don’t allow an ndp government to get reelected on the basis of vote splitting. and so i take all that feedback seriously.”
he said he’s disappointed that some of the background negotiations about the best way to defeat the ndp government are being bandied about in public.
falcon cited a clash of values as one thing standing in the way of a merger.
“i can’t merge with a party that has candidates that equate vaccinations with nazism and apartheid … or candidates that say the covid shot is going to turn you into a magnet,” he said.
b.c. conservative leader john rustad, left, and b.c. united leader kevin falcon.
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rustad dismissed suggestions he’s running a slate of far-right candidates, saying the party has attracted a former ndp mla and federal liberals.
“we are running people from across the political spectrum because it’s not about being conservative or liberal or ndp,” he said. “it’s just about standing for what’s right and fighting for the average everyday person in this province.”
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falcon did not rule out co-operating with the b.c. conservatives after the election to form a coalition should the b.c. ndp secure a minority government.
“if the right thing is working together with any other party that gets elected to ensure we get free enterprise policies back in british columbia and get this back on track, i will do it. no question,” he said.
falcon said he and rustad have not talked directly since august 2022 when falcon kicked rustad out of the b.c. liberal caucus for sharing a social media post that was seen as climate change skepticism.
the b.c. liberal party changed its name to b.c. united in april 2023, two weeks after rustad became the leader of the b.c. conservatives. despite having just two mlas — rustad and bruce banman, who defected from the b.c. united in september 2023 — the conservatives have surged in political opinion polls, piggy backing on the popularity of pierre poilievre’s federal conservatives.
an online abacus data poll released this week, the results of a survey of 1,000 eligible voters, suggests if an election were held today, the b.c. ndp would win with 40 per cent support and the b.c. conservatives would become the official opposition with 34 per cent support. b.c. united was a distant third with 13 per cent support followed by the b.c. greens at 10 per cent.
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