John Rustad

John Rustad (born August 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who served as the leader of the Opposition in British Columbia from 2024 to 2025 and leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia from 2023 to 2025. He has served as the member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for Nechako Lakes since 2009. A former BC Liberal before his expulsion from caucus in 2022, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2005, representing Prince George-Omineca. He served in Premier Christy Clark's cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Rustad led the Conservative party into the 2024 British Columbia general election. The Conservatives won 44 seats, the party's best showing in over 70 years; the party hadn't won more than two seats in an election since 1953. His position as party leader was disputed in 2025 due to a vote by the Conservative Party caucus to replace him as leader with Trevor Halford and a statement by the party executive declaring Rustad to be "professionally incapacitated". Rustad rejected the description and insisted he was still leader of the party, but he resigned as party leader on December 4, 2025. On September 18, 2026, the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly confirmed that Rustad and former interim leader Trevor Halford were no longer members of the B.C. Conservative caucus. The clerk's office said it had been notified by interim Opposition House Leader, Heather Maahs. Skeena MLA Claire Rattée was also confirmed to be out of caucus that day, bringing the number of MLAs to leave the Conservative caucus under Kerry-Lynne Findlay's leadership to 12. Only 3 days later, Rustad was invited back to caucus following the resignation of Findlay as party leader. Both Halford...