Kevin Falcon suspends BC United campaign and backs BC Conservatives

Kevin Falcon is suspending BC United's election campaign and throwing his support behind John Rustad's Conservative Party of BC.

In an email issued this afternoon, the two parties said BC United candidates will be withdrawn "to enable the Conservative Party of BC to draw from BC United’s pool of incredible incumbent MLAs and candidates."

The Conservatives said they would also commit to "review candidates based on an improved vetting process."

When pressed about that process at a news conference held shortly after the news broke, Rustad refused to confirm whether there was a possibility of BC United candidates stepping in to run for his party in ridings where Conservative candidates have already been confirmed.

Both leaders said officials from the two parties will sit down in the coming days to iron out that process, deflecting from questions about details by saying the important thing right now is to ensure the NDP doesn't win re-election in October.

"In all candour, I agree with 75 per cent of things you do, but on your very worst day, you'll be better than David Eby on his very best day," Falcon said to Rustad, adding that "this is the right thing for (BC United) as a party, and it's the right thing for British Columbians."

When asked about whether this was the end of the former BC Liberals, Falcon said it "certainly" was for this election, but the future of the party would be determined by the BC United board at a later date.

The seismic shift to the BC political landscape heralds the apparent demise of a party that claims eight former premiers and has existed in some form for more than 100 years.

But its endgame unspooled at lightning speed, according to a timeline offered by Rustad at Wednesday's joint news conference.

Rustad said "low level" talks had recently been taking place but the first "straight up" discussion with Falcon to talk it thorough began at 9 pm Tuesday, continuing the next morning.

Falcon — who had said on Tuesday that the Conservatives were at risk of becoming a "conspiracy party" — said he and Rustad spoke for "many many hours" and there was "genuine graciousness on both sides."

He also confirmed at the news conference that he would not be standing in the election.

“I got back into politics because I wanted to build a bright future for my two daughters and for the next generation of British Columbians,” said Falcon, according to the parties' bulletin issued before the afternoon presser.

“Today, I’m stepping back for the same reason. I know that the best thing for the future of our province is to defeat the NDP, but we cannot do that when the centre-right vote is split.”

The BC United leader said he had heard from "thousands of people" during his travels around BC who were concerned about the two parties splitting the vote come October.

Rustad, meanwhile, said he applauds Falcon's decision, stressing that BC United's leader had "put BC first."

“I’ve known Kevin Falcon for 20 years, and while we haven’t always seen eye to eye, we both know there is too much at stake to let past disagreements get in the way of defeating David Eby and the radical NDP,” Rustad said.

“For the better part of two decades, Kevin Falcon has worked tirelessly to make our province a better place,” he added. “I encourage all Conservative MLAs, candidates and supporters to join me in sincerely thanking Kevin Falcon for doing the right thing, for his exemplary public service and for making the hard but right decision today.”

Rustad acknowledged the process had created "disruption" amid the process of choosing candidates, while Falcon apologized to BC United candidates and MLAs for keeping them in the dark about the talks.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't bring them all into the fold," he said.

In a statement sent to NowMedia, the BC Conservatives' candidate for Kelowna–Mission, Gavin Dew, also praised Falcon, stressing that he "deserves respect for doing the right thing."

"The is the ultimate signal that it’s time to move forward together, end the chaos, and get BC back on track, he added. "It’s an exciting time – and a time for common sense change to make things better for people and families.”

As all this happened, Eby took to X to respond to the day's news by posting a short video, saying that he remains focused on building more affordable homes, lowering costs and strengthening health care for British Columbians.

"We know what John Rustad has planned," Eby said. "Deep cuts to the health care system that are going to make waits longer and health care worse. He's done it before, he's going to do it again, it's a risk we just can't afford."

No matter what our opponents do, I'm focused on what matters to you—building more homes you can afford, lowering your costs, and strengthening your health care.

John Rustad is planning deep cuts that will cost you, just like he did before. That’s a risk we can’t afford. pic.twitter.com/ggngXCx4X4

— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) August 28, 2024

Today's announcement completes a remarkable victory for John Rustad, who was kicked out of the BC Liberals – now BC United – in 2022 by Falcon.

Rustad went on to join, and become the leader, of the BC Conservatives in 2023 before guiding them to the top of the polls this year.

Falcon, meanwhile, has seen his party sink in the polls, particularly after it was renamed in April 2023.

As the polls got worse and worse – with the party shown, more than once, to be trailing even the Greens – he began to lose MLAs to the BC Conservatives.

Falcon insisted, on numerous occasions, that the polls were irrelevant, that BC United’s candidates were superior to the BC Conservatives’ and even that the BC NDP had been assisting the BC Conservatives.

Previous attempts to bring the parties together have failed, with both leaders explaining earlier this year that talks had ended without result.

There is clearly no love lost between the two men, with Falcon accusing Rustad of putting "his own ambition above the best interests of British Columbia."

Rustad, for his part, has branded Falcon "clearly irrational" and even said in May that it was a "certainty" his party would not be merging with BC United.

He also claimed that Falcon declined an offer from the BC Conservatives' to discuss a merger in December 2023, with Rustad's party allegedly being told to "f**k off."

Here is a timeline of events leading up to the unravelling of BC United, less than eight weeks before the BC election:

Aug. 18, 2022: Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad is removed from the then-BC Liberal caucus by leader Kevin Falcon, over comments suggesting climate change was not caused by carbon dioxide emissions.

Feb. 16, 2023: Rustad joins BC Conservatives, becoming the party’s only member in the legislature.

April 12, 2023: The BC Liberals officially change their name to BC United, a move championed by Falcon.

Sept. 12, 2023: Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman leaves BC United to join the BC Conservatives.

May 24, 2024: Falcon says the BC Conservatives have rejected a deal to avoid vote-splitting, blaming Rustad’s “own ambition”.

May 31: Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson leaves BC United to join the Conservatives.

June 3: Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko, who had been a star recruit for BC United, leaves the party and joins the Conservatives, with polls showing her new party far ahead of her old one.

July 30: Richmond North Centre MLA Teresa Wat quits BC United to join the Conservatives.

Aug. 13: Falcon promises to raise the earnings threshold for provincial income tax to $50,000.

Aug. 27: Falcon warns that the BC Conservatives “are at risk of becoming a conspiracy party, not a Conservative party,” citing social media remarks by candidates.

Aug. 27: Falcon and Rustad hold discussions about the election.

Aug. 28: Falcon says he’s suspending BC United’s election campaign in favour of the BC Conservatives.

– With files from Canadian Press