BC Conservative John Rustad wins 70% support in leadership review

BC Conservative leader John Rustad has won a vote of support in his party’s leadership review.

There were 1,268 votes cast in the multi-month review process and 70.66 per cent were to keep Rustad as leader.

The vote was marred by allegations of improper membership sign-up, which the party says were identified by an internal audit and then cancelled.

The party constitution mandated the review amid messy infighting and saw party members in each of B.C.’s 93 ridings vote on whether they wanted Rustad to stay as leader.

The review came as the province’s political right, which unified behind Rustad and his upstart BC Conservatives ahead of last year’s provincial election, faces fragmentation.

In addition, two former MLAs — Dallas Brodie, who was kicked out of the party for comments about residential schools, and Tara Armstrong, who quit in solidarity — have formed their own new OneBC party, with social and economic policies challenging Rustad’s party’s right flank.

Jordan Kealy, a third Conservative MLA who quit in solidarity but remains an independent, also called for Rustad to step down.

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