B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad is under fire for his handling of the departure of Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee. Boultbee is the fifth MLA to exit or be removed from the Official Opposition in the past year. Rustad expressed concerns about Boultbee’s views on various issues and mentioned her well-being during a press briefing. When pressed, Rustad clarified that he was addressing Boultbee’s overall health, not specifically her mental health.
Rustad also mentioned discussions with staff regarding the possibility of Boultbee taking a leave of absence. In response, Boultbee disclosed that she had shared with Rustad five months earlier that she sought mental health support while dealing with a challenging child abuse case as the party’s critic for the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Boultbee criticized Rustad for what she perceived as exploiting personal information to undermine her credibility.
Rustad later refuted claims that he had referenced Boultbee’s mental health and emphasized that support was being offered to address concerns. He defended his actions, stating that addressing emotional well-being was important for all individuals, not just women.
Trevor Bolin, former B.C. Conservatives leader, expressed disappointment with Rustad’s handling of the situation. Bolin suggested that Rustad should step down due to the loss of confidence among party members. Conservative MLA Brennan Day condemned the weaponization or trivialization of health conditions and the stigma associated with them.
Several NDP ministers criticized Rustad’s remarks, with Attorney General Niki Sharma calling for an apology. The internal strife within the party coincides with a recent poll revealing higher support for the NDP compared to the B.C. Conservatives among decided voters. Despite this, Rustad remained confident in his party’s prospects in potential future elections.
The B.C. Conservatives have seen five MLAs depart since the last election, with two MLAs forming a new party earlier in the year and others becoming Independents due to various reasons.