John Rustad has officially resigned as the offical leader the opposition party in B.C.
The move comes in the wake of a dramatic turn of events within the BC Conservative Party on Wednesday, which saw 20 of the 39 party MLAs openly questioning his leadership.
Rustad released a statement to CFAX1070 on Thursday morning. In part, it states:
"Today, I am announcing my decision to resign as Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia and as Leader of the Official Opposition.
When I began this journey, our party had not elected an MLA to the British Columbia Legislature since 1975. We started with very little, but we built a movement grounded in common sense, hard work, and love of this province. Together, we came within one seat of forming government. I am proud of what we have built and proud of the team of Conservative MLAs who now represent communities across BC.
I know many are concerned by what they saw yesterday (Wednesday) but I want to assure every member and supporter of the party that this was not a hostile takeover by BC Liberals of the party. I have full confidence in our caucus, and I will continue to support our team as they fight for British Columbians every day.”
John Rustad will continue his role as the MLA for Nechako Lakes, a position he's held since 2009.
Trevor Halford, MLA for Surrey-White Rock, has stepped into the role of Interim Leader of the Conservative Party of BC and Leader of the Official Opposition.
Halford thanked MLA John Rustad for his tremendous leadership and stewardship of the Conservative Caucus of BC.