As the BC Conservatives wrestle with yet more candidate problems, leader John Rustad is himself stirring the pot with an appearance on the podcast of controversial psychologist and author Jordan Peterson.
In terms of sheer eyeballs, it’s probably a get for Rustad, who will be able to introduce himself to Peterson’s millions of listeners and social media followers.
But it’s also a risky move. Rustad is going to find himself fielding questions about contentious gender identity and sexuality topics that, provincially, he’s mostly trying to avoid 64 days before an election. His answers will undoubtedly fuel attacks from the other parties that he’s an extremist. Most of Peterson’s followers aren’t British Columbians, so the upside on attracting actual new voters will be limited. The ones who do listen were probably already voting Conservative anyway.
“Today with (John Rustad) who just could be the next premier of resource-rich and beautiful British Columbia and get the place booming again,” Peterson posted on X.
“He’s a successful private entrepreneur. A distinguished MLA. And a former cabinet minister. In principle he should be up for the job. Decide for yourself on the basis of our upcoming discussion.”
Peterson is currently one of the biggest lightning rods in the world when it comes to culture and gender wars, political correctness, masculinity and feminism. He recently faced sanction from the College of Psychologists of Ontario for what it called degrading social media posts that bring his profession into disrepute. Critics have called his views transphobic, sexist and intolerant.
BC Conservatives largely appear to be celebrating Rustad’s invitation onto Peterson’s platform.
But other parties are already poised to attack.
“You know, a couple days ago we had a Conservative candidate calling the anti-vax convoy inspiring, and now today we have John Rustad sitting down with Jordan Peterson, who people will probably remember, was defending a man who rented a van in Toronto and ran down a bunch of pedestrians because women wouldn't have sex with him,” Premier David Eby told me in an interview.
“Mr. Peterson thought that this was a reasonable explanation, and suggested that the government should pay women to have sex with men as a potential response to that.
“That's who John Rustad is sitting down with and doing podcasts with. I find it completely disturbing.”
Eby has long portrayed Rustad as a purveyor of American-style culture wars. His appearance on Peterson’s podcast will likely only fuel that criticism.
It also comes at a time when the party continues its multi-month stumbling and fumbling over candidates with extremist views.
Kelowna-Mission candidate Alexandra Wright was fired from the party this week, after retweeting a social media post that called on the BC Conservatives to launch criminal investigations into Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Wright, a lawyer turned farmer, blamed her dismissal on internal Conservative politics and her dispute with a Kelowna fruit packing company that hosted Rustad for a town hall.
“I am trying to pull the knife out of my back at present,” she told Black Press.
Extremists within the Conservative base certainly do want Rustad to prosecute Dix and Henry, and lock them up. But it’s not an opinion held by mainstream British Columbians. Rustad has only ever said the two should be fired for incompetence. Anything more would be politically foolish.
Wright is the fourth candidate to be fired from the party amidst controversy. Previously, the party let go an Esquimalt nurse who said people vaccinated for COVID actually spread COVID, a Denman Island doctor who said the COVID vaccine gives you magnetic powers and a Comox Valley resident who called LGBTQ people “degenerates.”
The party also found itself this week dealing with its Stikine candidate, Sharon Hartwell, who posted a message of support for the organizers of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, who are currently on trial, calling them “an inspiration.” So far, Hartwell remains a candidate.
The BC Conservatives still seem to be strong in the polls, and in party fundraising. They are also racking up even more BC United staff defections.
But the success is in spite of a string of candidate faux pas, early questionable recruiting, ongoing vetting problems and a general inability to keep people in the party from saying and doing stupid things. That should concern Conservative strategists.
We’ll see if Rustad nails his interview with Peterson, or adds to the ongoing and growing list of headaches for his party.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 16 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
