Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes, says revelations from Surrey Police confirm that crime is spiraling out of control, and the NDP’s broken justice system is failing in its first duty — to keep people safe. “BC’s legacy cannot be that it has the highest threshold in the country for laying extortion charges. Premier David Eby has presided over a system where police work around the clock while violent criminals walk free because Crown approval drags on. This isn’t about Crown counsel themselves; it’s about providing them with the resources and tools to do their jobs, and about the rules and direction set by the premier,” said Rustad. “As extortion fuels bullets in Surrey, squeezes businesses across Metro Vancouver, and pushes shopkeepers on Vancouver Island to consider closing their doors, crime is threatening our way of life. British Columbians deserve safe streets and real leadership, not false commitments and a premier and ministers hiding from a probl...

While the NDP brought forward a thin legislative agenda this session, our Conservative Caucus delivered real wins for British Columbians — not just through legislation, but through consistent advocacy, public pressure, and principled opposition. “ As the spring session comes to a close, I want to thank our team for a season of hard work and meaningful results ,” added John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes and Leader of the Official Opposition. From repealing the carbon tax and ending unwitnessed safe supply, to securing critical services for children like Charleigh Pollock and calling out government failure in tragedies like the death of Chantelle Williams, our team has made a tangible impact. While the NDP struggles to manage public backlash over Bills 7, 14, and 15, our caucus was advancing practical solutions. Our members tabled 11 private members’ bills focused on affordability, mental health, emergency response, public safety, and interprovincial trade. Several of these initiatives w...

The provincial election isn’t until October but Nechako Lakes riding BC United candidate Shane Brienen is already staking out his ground . . . . . . Brienen, who is also the mayor of Houston, said John Rustad, the current Member of the Legislative Assembly for the riding and the leader of the BC Conservative Party, has “shown a lack of leadership from an elected official for nearly two decades" . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

What a mess BC’s forest industry has become. This NDP government does not seem to care about workers or communities. They are only focused on where they can get votes for the next election.    To understand why the NDP is ignoring the plight of the forest sector you must consider where their votes come from.   There is a perception promoted by environmentalists that forestry is bad. They promote false information about old growth. They also try to suggest that forestry somehow is bad for our climate. All of these are false narratives but they are the reason why there is no champion of the forest sector in the NDP government. Or for that matter, there isn’t even a champion for forestry in the BC United party.   All the other political parties are afraid of the cancel culture. They are afraid of standing up for what is right. They are afraid of supporting a healthy forest sector. They are afraid of losing a vote.   Why does this matter?    ...

BC Liberal Forestry Critic John Rustad While the provincial government in BC has announced it will be deferring stumpage fees it charges forest companies, in the midst of COVID-19 crisis, the former BC Liberal Minister for Forests, and now Opposition Critic, has expressed several concerns. John Rustad, MLA for the riding of Nechako Lakes, stated, “ Forest companies were, and are, asking for help. Big steps are needed to reduce costs ”. Continuing, he observed, “ BC has become the highest cost producer in North America under the NDP and unless the cost structure is addressed, the future of forestry in BC will be very challenging ”. Still, and according to BC Premier John Horgan; “ As government, we had already taken a number of steps to help forest communities and the industry because they were facing tough times even before the COVID-19 crisis came along .” “ Now, we’re deferring stumpage fees (with interest) so companies can maintain th...

As a beautiful sunset rests on a glorious day, music from one world together plays in the background. Swans and Canada Geese are still on the lawn gobbling up what food they can find. Dozens of ducks fly in for a landing on the small area of lake that is now ice free. For them, nothing has changed, but for the rest of us, the world is a different place that nobody has ever seen before. The critical health impacts of a pandemic. The unknown of how it will develop. People’s livelihoods disrupted. Line ups to enter a grocery store and shelves not nearly as stocked as we are used to. Love ones isolated, not being able to reach out and be comforted. Fear, uncertainty and isolation are taking a toll on everyone. I have spoken with so many whose small business has been significantly impacted. Many are coming to the realization that their life’s work may not survive this. So many ask me, when we will return to normal? What will normal be? Nobody knows for ...

RCMP photo -- illegal grow-op in the Pemberton area VANDERHOOF (December 9, 2019) ­– With the forestry crisis worsening, and John Horgan and the NDP still yet to introduce a comprehensive strategy to address the litany of layoffs and closures plaguing both the interior and coastal forestry sectors, attention is turning to a relief fund for illegal cannabis growers quietly announced by government last month.   The Cannabis Business Transition Initiative designates $675,000 dollars to help existing illegal cannabis growers in the Kootenays “overcome the barriers to operating in the legal economy” as they transition out of the black market. “ To think that John Horgan and the NDP have created a relief program for illegal cannabis growers at a time when the forestry industry is imploding and forestry workers throughout the province are struggling to survive, shows you the misguided priorities of this government ,” said Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Op...

As the provincial government moves forward with a leaders table regarding Caribou recovery in the Peace River region, Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad is not impressed. When I asked him about the latest efforts of the NDP government, he stated, “ It shows that their approach is being driven by ideology, not science and that they could care less about who is impacted by their bumbling strategies ”. Two days ago, Premier John Horgan met with Chief Ken Cameron of the Saulteau First Nations, and Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nations, to discuss moving forward with a leaders’ table.   According to a government media release, this leaders-table discussion is to ... continue the work of recovery of the endangered central group of the southern mountain caribou, while maintaining the social and economic well-being of communities in the northeast region of British Columbia . The leaders’ table is also intended to build on the work initiated by Minis...

The NDP passed a bill this spring requiring BC to sell nothing but Zero Emission Vehicles by 2040. Was this a good piece of legislation? In my opinion, the goal of having people drive a zero-emission vehicle is a good one, but what the bill did NOT do was explain how this could be achieved. First, where will the electricity come from? With expected population growth, BC will require the equivalent of 4 Site C dams in production, to meet the electrical d emand from electric vehicles. Now some of those vehicles may be hydrogen but the result would be the same as the production of hydrogen still requires electricity. How will this amount of electricity be created? Some say from solar or wind. Those are fine but how will that power be firmed. Also, are you prepared to pay skyrocketing electricity prices? That is what this bill by the NDP will mean. How is that making life more affordable? Second, high speed charging stations requires si...

Alan Forseth ~~ Kamloops, BC ~~ May 7 th , 2019 Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad is the BC Liberal forestry critic, and yesterday his party sent out a media release, “ BC Liberals oppose John Horgan’s forestry bill that divides communities and puts jobs at risk ” I grew up in the Cariboo, and over a number of years saw ongoing and continuous job reductions taking place.   The Cariboo is a beautiful part of the province to grow up in, and so starting first with my 1973 Toyota Corolla ... and then moving up to my Chevy half-ton truck ... I traveled pretty much every road (paved, graveled, rutted and at time what little remained of horse drawn wagon roads dating back decades and decades).    During those travels I also saw what was happening as small rural communities, dependent on the forestry industry saw those job loses leading to businesses closing, people moving away, schools closing, and government services being shuttered. Last night I...

Yesterday (April 17 th ) was an important day in righting a wrong, as Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation , announced: “ Reconciliation demands we reckon with the truth of our shared history and address the past. The devastation experienced by the Cheslatta people 67 years ago continues to this day.” The Nechako Reserviour More than 65 years after their lands were flooded to make way for the creation of the Nechako Reservoir, the Cheslatta Carrier Nation have signed agreements with the Province of British Columbia that provide restitution and redress for impacts suffered by their community and their peoples. One individual who worked on this file in the previous government, was Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad.   John spoke to me on the topic saying, “ I worked for many years to get this agreement done. We almost had it completed, and I’m happy to see the NDP kept it going ”. He continued, “ Back when the dam was origi...

W ill there be an election in BC this spring?   For those of us that are engaged Reading of the 2019 BC government Throne Speech in politics, this is a burning question. What could the signs be? A throne speech normally sets the tone, and is used to lay out a vision for the next year, with hints at other initiatives. It is then defended by government MLAs. The NDP introduced the lamest throne speech in BC’s history which simple attacked the BC Liberals, and praised the NDP initiatives from the previous year. It also contained a few populist issues and promises of programs not starting until future years. The NDP also refused to speak to their throne speech, or defend it, leading to the shortest throne speech debate in BC history. I initially thought this was simply incompetence by the NDP. But did they do this intentionally to save their plans for a spring election call? The NDP need to introduce legislation to support their promises made to ...