The B.C. Conservatives have surged ahead of the governing provincial NDP in a new poll, marking a dramatic shift in provincial politics as leader John Rustad faces a formal leadership review.
The caucus met Wednesday in Surrey, one day before a Mainstreet Research poll showed the Conservatives at 44 per cent support, ahead of the NDP at 41 per cent, a four-point drop for the governing party since the 2024 provincial election.
The Greens are at 7%, down one point, while other parties account for 8% of support. The poll, conducted June 24 among 886 British Columbians via IVR phone and online methods, reflects a shifting political landscape in the province.
Rustad responded to the poll in a post on X Wednesday, writing: “I’m proud of our Conservative Party of British Columbia caucus for holding the NDP to account — the numbers speak for themselves!”
Despite the positive polling, Rustad remains under pressure.
The leadership review was triggered amid criticism from within the province’s conservative movement, including over his handling of allegations against former caucus members who now sit as independents or with the breakaway OneBC party.
At Wednesday’s caucus meeting, Rustad appeared confident speaking to the media.
“We got to talk about a lot of issues, and, especially, we started talking about a lot of things that we need to be focused on,” he said.
“When we think about British Columbia, where British Columbia is going, it’s clear that in this province, there are so many issues.”
Asked about the review, Rustad said, “I would love to have 100 per cent [support]. So we’ll see how that goes.”
Last week, Rustad accused former Conservative MLAs of blackmailing party staff.
On Wednesday, he said he would not bring the matter to police, citing staff requests. “I do think about whether I should have used the word blackmail,” he said.
The Conservatives have continued to gain traction following the collapse of BC United in the 2024 election, when the former party’s leader Kevin Falcon withdrew from the race and endorsed the B.C. Conservatives in an effort to avoid vote-splitting.
The New Democrats won a narrow majority, while the B.C. Conservatives formed the official opposition with their strongest result in over 70 years.