B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has taken the bold step of daring Premier David Eby to call an election amid what he calls the premier’s “ever-shifting positions” on a North Coast pipeline running from the Alberta oilsands to the Port of Prince Rupert.
Despite months of turmoil in his own party, the Opposition leader told Postmedia News on Wednesday that he’s prepared for a second trip to the polls in just a little over a year if Eby so wills.
“We have a premier who is being obstructive, not just to British Columbia, but to Canada. I’m worried that Canada could fall apart. Worried that Alberta may separate,” said Rustad, who said the province is currently shipping oil to the Americans at a discount and that a pipeline is needed to expand markets in Asia.
“The status quo is not working for people in this province, and so if David Eby wants to go to the polls and ask for a mandate to be obstructive to the unity of Canada, to taking advantage of resources and to continually supporting the Americans, drop the writ because I don’t believe that’s where British Columbians are.”
The topic of a pipeline from Alberta to B.C. is a fraught one with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding supportive of such a project on Thursday.
Eby and provincial Energy Minister Adrian Dix have said they haven’t received a copy of the memorandum despite a large portion of the project running through B.C. They also have pointed out that there is no private proponent for such a pipeline and that coastal First Nations oppose any removal of the tanker ban on the province’s North Coast.
Earlier in the legislative session, Eby had threatened to go to the polls if his bill designed to expedite the North Coast Transmission Line didn’t pass.
Rustad says he’s now calling the premier’s bluff.
David Black, Royal Roads University political communications professor, said the comments from the Tory leader are the perfect example of getting off the defensive by going on the offensive.
Rustad has been plagued in recent months by discord within his caucus, with five MLAs either resigning or being kicked out since last year’s provincial election, and among his party board with the party’s president and six of the other eight members of the Conservative’s executive management committee calling for his resignation.
He also faced a less-than-stellar review from party members this summer with less than 20 per cent of members voting in the leadership review, which was plagued by allegations of improper sign-ups designed to boost Rustad’s approval rating.
Ultimately, the Conservative leader survived with a ‘yes’ vote of 71 per cent.
“I think this has the benefit, certainly politically, of helping to consolidate a fractious caucus, the base that may be divided on his leadership,” said Black. “It’s smart politically. This is highlighting the political vulnerability of Eby and this government on this issue, and the fact that public opinion seems to have a fairly healthy margin in favour of the pipeline.”
Rustad disputed that the rationale for the election comments has anything to do with his party’s struggles. He said he has lots of people excited about potentially helping out with the party and that while his caucus doesn’t necessarily want an election, they do want to see the NDP gone.
“There’s been a picture painted about our party, and I disagree with that,” said Rustad. “We’re fighting the fight that needs to be fought. We’re fighting to stand for what’s right for both British Columbians and Canadians. I’m fully confident that, if we get into an election like that, that we’ll see a very positive result.”
