Maybe signalling to caucus and staff that party politics is a free-for-all wasn’t such a good idea (The Tyee)

Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad crossed the Rubicon when he directed a search through the phones of his party’s MLAs in order to identify dissidents.

“What we have said in caucus is very clear, that we expect discipline,” Rustad explained.

The logic of party discipline is simple: caucus members vote and speak consistently under their leader’s direction to ensure stability and clarity on the party’s various positions. Under Canada’s Westminster system, where governments can fall by losing key votes, party discipline keeps governing parties in power and helps opposition parties appear ready to govern.

Rustad’s embrace of party discipline is remarkable since he had rejected it for years ...

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