Furstenau Ghosts Rustad’s Phone Call

BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said that before she would talk with Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad about how their parties might work together, he must first publicly address the disturbing past comments made by some of the candidates elected on his slate.

“I think it's really up to John Rustad to demonstrate what kind of leadership he has at this point,” she said. “He has not been responding to, I think, very direct questions about things that his candidates have said.”

After the initial count of votes after the Oct. 19 election, none of the parties had won enough seats to form a majority in the 93-seat legislature.

The NDP has 46 seats, the Conservatives 45 and the Greens hold the balance of power with two. There will be at least two recounts during the final count and some very close seats may still change hands.

If the results stand, neither the NDP nor the Conservatives can form a stable government without support from the Greens.

Furstenau remains BC Green Party leader despite failing to win the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding where she competed.

Furstenau said Rustad had tried to call her by phone, but she didn’t answer because she didn’t recognize the number. She did not call him back, she said, and indicated she doesn’t intend to.

“There have been statements made by Conservative candidates that are truly disturbing, racist, dehumanizing, homophobic, conspiratory,” Furstenau said. “Some of these candidates were elected and I am yet to see a satisfactory response from John Rustad.”

BC Conservative media contacts did not respond to a request for comment.

Elected representatives have a serious responsibility to hold themselves to a high standard and to see themselves as representatives of everyone in their communities, Furstenau said. “It's John Rustad’s responsibility now to make sure that his caucus understand the seriousness of the burden of being an elected representative.”

Furstenau said she did speak with NDP leader and incumbent premier David Eby Wednesday morning, but declined to share details, saying, “It was a conversation.”

Asked about various possible commitments — proportional representation, blocking LNG development, keeping the carbon tax — that either of the other parties might need to make to earn support from the two Green MLAs, Furstenau said the starting point for any negotiations will be her party’s platform.

“Our platform really looks at trying to understand why we're getting the outcomes we're getting in B.C. right now,” she said. “From that place of understanding, the platform offers solutions that are rooted in, ‘How can government be more effective at delivering the services that should be delivered?’”

Both of the elected Greens were alongside Furstenau during the media availability at the party’s Victoria headquarters.

“I certainly support Sonia’s interpretation and path forward,” said Rob Botterell, elected in Saanich North and the Islands. “That really is the key, focusing on the platform as a wonderful framework, and largely supported framework for the path forward.”

Jeremy Valeriote, who won in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, said he is also in full support of the party’s direction. “I also have the same concerns about some of the statements made by Conservative candidates and support Sonia’s assessment of the path forward on this.”

Furstenau said she intends to stay as leader of the BC Green Party and that she has the confidence of the party’s council. At a future annual general meeting the party membership will have an opportunity to participate in deciding whether she should continue in the position, she added.

Meanwhile, she said, her focus will be on supporting Botterell and Valeriote as they start their work as MLAs and the party navigates its role in the legislature once the election results are final.