BC United high-profile MLA Elnore Sturko and Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson have ditched Kevin Falcon’s BC United party to join BC Conservative party led by John Rustad.
Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey South, made the announcement at the legislature Monday morning standing next to B.C. Conservatives Leader John Rustad.
Sturko, a former RCMP spokesperson and military veteran, was elected in a by-election in 2022, winning 52 percent of the vote.
She said some might call it a “plot twist” but “we can only ignore the polls so long.” Sturko will run in the riding of Surrey-Cloverdale in the provincial election later this year.
Sturko said she “thought long and hard” about making the move to the BC Conservatives and believes that “a real coalition for common sense change” is the key to winning the next election.
“On the biggest issues, including affordable housing, cancelling decriminalization of deadly drugs, fixing our broken healthcare system, making our streets safe, and putting our natural resources to work growing jobs and our economy, the Conservatives make sense as that new coalition,” added Sturko. “The BC Conservatives grassroots coalition is resonating with British Columbians as the party that can beat the NDP and bring back common sense to Victoria.”
Conservative leader John Rustad said Sturko will be “a terrific addition to the team, and a practical example of the grassroots coalition that is growing across the province.”
“Elenore’s decision to join us reinforces that we are building a big tent, with room for everyone who wants to defeat the NDP and elect a common sense government that respects taxpayers hard earned wages,” said Rustad. “In the legislature, Elenore has distinguished herself by holding the government to account for its failed decriminalization of deadly drugs that has hurt every neighbourhood and community in our province. On these issues, and so many others, David Eby and the NDP have failed British Columbians. They have made our province unaffordable, rationed healthcare, raised taxes, and made it impossible to do business or get anything done in British Columbia. They have weakened our economy, and resorted to record-breaking deficits to paper over their failure to make life better for British Columbians.” \
Jody Toor remains a Conservative candidate and will be running for the Conservative Party of British Columbia in Langley Willowbrook, where she plans to open a second holistic wellness clinic this summer.
“I’m excited to welcome yet another MLA into our growing Conservative family, and I wanted to step up to make space for Elenore to join our grassroots, common sense coalition. We’re moms in politics — we have to support each other,” said Toor.
Earlier BC United’s caucus chair Lorne Doerkson defected to the B.C. Conservatives.
Doerkson said that he was making a change because he believes this upcoming election is simply too consequential. “I have spent countless hours listening to my constituents in the recent months. The response has been overwhelming. The residents of Cariboo-Chilcotin want to see David Eby defeated and they want to see a common-sense Conservative government in Victoria,” he continued.
During a press conference, Falcon said he’s “disappointed and shocked” at Sturko’s decision.
Falcon said Sturko is joining a party that “she has long disavowed to me and to caucus as being too extremist.”
