Nechako Lakes MLA and former B.C. Conservative party leader John Rustad says some underhanded tactics from the BC United Party prior to the 2024 provincial election likely cost them a chance at victory over the NDP.
Rustad took to social media earlier this month stating the BC United Party secretly funded the firejohnrustad.ca website requesting his dismissal as the provincial Tories figurehead.
Last week, Elections BC stated the website was launched by BC United officials who hired an Alberta political firm identified as Sovereign North Strategies Inc.
The election watchdog also issued the former BC Liberals a fine of $4,500 for their trouble, which included a false statement to impact election results in relation to mail out material and the web site.
Rustad, who spoke with Vista Radio on the findings believes the harmful material was strategic after BC United suspended its campaign and threw support behind the Conservatives in August of 2024.
“I wasn’t planning on saying any of these things but with Elections BC coming forward, I want to make sure people understand who was involved, what was going on so we can make the right choices for the new Conservative leader of BC.”
Speaking of the Conservative leadership race, one of the leading candidates, former Kamloops Mayor Peter Milobar ousted campaign manager Mark Werner.
While Werner was not named in the Elections BC evidence related to the mailout and website targeting Rustad and Richmond MLA Teresa Wat, he did hold down the campaign manager role for BC United at the time.
Milobar Campaign Announces Campaign Reorganizing pic.twitter.com/dcpOfMN9EK
— Peter Milobar (@PeterMilobar) April 11, 2026
Rustad is of the belief the strategy deployed by BC United was to help re-elect the governing NDP – the election results showed the Conservatives were one seat short of taking control of the legislature.
“We tried to bring everyone together to the centre-right to defeat the NDP, to try and get this province back on track. It was extremely frustrating and disappointing to see BC United party ran a campaign to try to damage us as a brand and as a party and me as a leader, basically trying to help the NDP get elected.”
“It is unconscionable to think that is what they were involved in doing at a time when the province desperately needed the change that we were all hoping to bring.”
“Surrey-Guilford was won by 22 votes and in that riding Elections BC has already admitted 88 violations of the election act. There is all kinds of things going on but when you look at this sort of thing, who knows what the results would have been. Just over a thousand votes would have made the difference of us having 50-plus seats and being government,” added Rustad.
I just got off the Mike Smyth show and I’m going to say it straight.
The https://t.co/FlEZPB1U09 website and the smear mailer that went out in the final weeks of the 2024 election? Elections BC just confirmed it was BC United behind it and fined them $4,500.
When it first… pic.twitter.com/WRQf3SKh5G
— John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) April 14, 2026
Following the suspension of BC United’s campaign in August of 2024, MLA’s Elenore Sturko, Lorne Doerkson, Wat and Milobar joined Rustad and the Conservatives.
Other notables who made the plunge include Bruce Banman, Trevor Halford (who is now interim leader of the Conservatives and) Ian Paton.
Since narrowly missing on the election, the Conservatives have had to weather their own turmoil ousting Rustad as party leader at the end of 2025 following the departure of Sturko, Amelia Boultbee, Jordan Kealy, Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong.
Milobar is one of five candidates shortlisted to become the new leader of the Tories.
The list also includes commentator Caroline Elliott, former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Iain Black and former MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay and entrepreneur Yuri Fulmer.
A new leader is expected to be named May 30th.
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