VICTORIA — John Rustad says he expects a spirit of defiance and for free speech to reign in his British Columbia Conservative Party caucus — even if it involves pitting team members against each other, including himself.
But he said there's no rift in the upstart party, despite differences about its core values that have publicly played out in the aftermath of Vancouver Police Board member Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba's resignation last month.
Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko had endorsed Sakoma-Fadugba's exit over social media posts about multiculturalism and gender, while 13 fellow MLAs called on Sturko to make a written apology and meet Sakoma-Fadugba, citing an opposition to "cancel culture."
They called for the matter to be discussed at a caucus meeting.
That meeting of the 44-member caucus was held behind closed doors at the legislature on Tuesday and while Rustad wouldn't talk about the agenda, he said members were free to speak their minds.
"They have the right to say things," he said. "They have the right to bring forward issues and I look forward to discussions. I look at it from the perspective (that) the NDP would be whipping everybody. They would make sure that they all say the same thing."
Sturko has refused to meet Sakoma-Fadugba and said she stands by her views, which her caucus opponents' letter said "called into question our (party's) commitment to the core values shared by Conservatives."
Rustad said in a social media post late Monday that he met Sakoma-Fadugba, and she was a "wonderful" and "proudly Christian" person who shouldn't have been asked to quit. He said Sturko should meet her too.
Sturko said her boss didn't tell her in advance about the post, and she had no intention of meeting Sakoma-Fadugba. But she said before attending the caucus meeting that Rustad had been clear "that he respects that different people will have different points of view and that he values free speech, particularly of MLAs."
"I certainly appreciate that and I don't feel uncomfortable at all expressing my point of view," said the former RCMP officer. "I don't have any plans to change my position at all."
Rustad said that was fine by him. "We don't whip our people," said Rustad. "That's completely up to her."
Sturko's defection from the BC United party to the B.C. Conservatives ahead of the fall election had been a pivotal moment for the party and Rustad's efforts to create what he called a "big tent" party.
But "growing pain" had been exposed by the various responses to Sakoma-Fadugba's exit from the police board, Sturko said.
"I joined this party to work side by side with John and I intend to do that," said Sturko. "We're going to continue our discussions behind closed doors of caucus and I have no trepidations or hard feelings against the members I'm working with."
Sakoma-Fadugba's posts on Instagram had included remarks about the impact of multiculturalism on "Canadian values."
In a video posted on social media Monday, Sakoma-Fadugba said she had been “forced to resign” for advocating what she called “civic nationalism, respect for Canadian heritage and parental rights.”
“The exclusion of Christians should not be the price we pay for multiculturalism,” she added, saying she wanted to “make Canada Canadian again.”
She said B.C. and federal Conservatives “must stand with us,” referring to what she called a “silent majority.”
The 13 MLAs who had sought an apology from Sturko, in a letter first reported by broadcaster Jas Johal, had little to say but some appeared in high spirits after the caucus meeting.
Sturko said she wished the differences in the caucus had played out "as a private conversation."
"I'm sure now, in hindsight, many of my colleagues feel the same way," she said.
The caucus meeting ended with smiles in a group photo on the legislature steps.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.
Dirk Meissner and Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press
