AFTER having refused on Wednesday to step down as Leader of the B.C. Conservatives after the party declared that Trevor Halford had been selected as “Interim Leader,” John Rustad announced on Thursday morning that he was stepping down.

Rustad said: “I know many are concerned by what they saw yesterday, 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.”

He added: “We remain to a vision of elected a common-sense Conservative government in BC. I invite everyone who sees the NDP as a threat to their livelihood and to the dreams of a prosperous British Columbia to join us in the coming weeks and months as we chart a new path forward.”

Rustad said: “British Columbia needs a strong and unified opposition that is ready to hold this government to account and defeat it. I have full confidence in our caucus, and I will continue to support our team as they fight for British Columbians every day.”

On Wednesday, the B.C. Conservative Party announced that a majority of the B.C. Conservative caucus “has informed the party’s legal counsel that they no longer have confidence in the Leader of the Official Opposition, John Rustad” and “as such, he has been removed” from that post. The party said that “per a caucus vote, Trevor Halford was selected as Interim Leader.”

“Having received this notice, the Board of Directors passed a motion certifying that Rustad is, per section 11.02, professionally incapacitated and unable to continue as Party Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Furthermore, the Board passed a motion appointing Trevor Halford as Interim Leader. The Conservative Party of British Columbia respects the democratic will of the majority of the Caucus,” the party said.

“Per the Constitution of the Conservative Party of BC, the Board of Directors will now begin the process of a Leadership Race. The Party will provide further updates to this process once it is fully developed,” it added.

However, Rustad fired back in a post on X, saying: “I have not resigned, I have not been removed, and I am not going anywhere. A political party’s board can throw around whatever creative terminology they like, ‘professional incapacitation’? Give me a break Let me be clear: That’s not a constitutional mechanism.”

That defiance fizzled out on Thursday, as Rustad seemed to bend over backwards to appease angry MLAs who had been demanding that he step down as Leader.

Rustad tried to deflect attention from the infighting in his party by attacking the government. He said: “I am proud of what we have built and proud of the team of Conservative MLAs who now represent communities across British Columbia. We have been a strong voice for safe streets, affordable living, private property, resource jobs, and respect for the people who build this province. That work matters more than ever, because the NDP is laying waste to B.C.’s economy and the livelihoods of working families. This was brought into sharp relief just this week with the loss of 350 jobs at the Crofton Pulp mill. People who work hard and play by the rules deserve a government that has their back, not a government that drives investment away and shrugs when paycheques disappear.”

Halford thanked Rustad for “his tremendous leadership and stewardship of the Conservative Caucus of BC,” noting that Rustad took the party from not having elected an MLA since 1975 to coming within one seat of forming government.

Halford said: “John has worked tirelessly to champion common-sense government and built a movement that we can now take forward to defeat the NDP. Our entire caucus is grateful for the sacrifices he has made for this team and for this province.”

Halford said the Conservative Caucus “is focused, disciplined, and ready to provide the stability and accountability that British Columbians desperately need after a fall session defined by government turmoil and worsening crises.”

Halford added: “This government’s agenda was defined by denial, secrecy, and incompetence. Every crisis worsened because they refused to act until it was too late.”

He issued what he called was the BC Legislature’s fall session’s Top 10 major failures by an NDP government that “is not only out of its depth, but more frighteningly, without answers for the future.”