By Greg Fry

BC Politics

Rustad defends decision to boot Sturko from caucus

Sep 23, 2025 | 4:15 PM

VICTORIA — John Rustad is standing firm on his decision to boot Elenore Sturko out of the Conservative caucus on Monday after he says she was plotting to help remove him as leader.

He told CKPG News on Tuesday that he only decided to go public once he heard that Sturko admitted publicly that she was lobbying MLAs to ask them to push him to resign.

“And the problem is this was the third time she’s done it.”

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Rustad says the previous two times it happened he told her “this is a team,” and that he needs to be “able to count on you, to trust you.”

“I cannot be fighting the NDP and what we need to be doing to save this province the destruction that’s going on and have to continually pull knives out of my back by somebody that’s on my team. So it left me with no choice but to remove her from our caucus.”

He notes it wasn’t an easy decision, acknowledging Sturko did some good work.

“I feel terrible about it. I worked with her, I wanted to see her successful as part of the team. She’s been very effective in her critic stuff.”

One conservative MLA says while he’s sorry to see Sturko go, he understands why the decision was made.

“Well, political parties are also a big family and so to lose a member of your team like that it’s always very tough. But it is a team sport, we have to unite together to be able to win as a team and obviously the leader made a decision there.

“Elenore is a very talented MLA and I wish her the best in her next step and endeavours but at the end of the day we need to keep moving forward as a team and that’s what I intend to do with a Conservative caucus for British Columbians.”