Calvin MacNeil 🍁

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 21, 2026 STATEMENT FROM JOHN RUSTAD, MLA FOR NECHAKO LAKES VICTORIA, BC, Sept. 21, 2026 /CNW/ - John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes, issued the following statement after speaking with reporters at the legislature: Kerry-Lynne Findlay has stepped down as leader. That was the right thing for British Columbia. I thank her for it. Last week was a hard week. Caucus spoke frankly, as a caucus should. Kerry-Lynne Findlay then made a difficult decision. That decision was hers. I respect it. I am not going back over the rest. Lorne Doerkson is now interim leader of the Official Opposition. He is a quality individual. A lot of people in this province do not know him yet. They will. He asked me to come back to caucus. This afternoon I accepted. I am returning to do the work, not to run the next chapter from the outside. If the new leadership wants my help, they will have it. I will not force my old vision onto them. It is time for an older generation of politicians to step aside. That includes former premiers Christy Clark and Gordon Campbell. Their time at the centre is over. They need to let this go. My time as leader is over too. Serving this province is not. There have been talks about bringing Conservatives and CentreBC back together. Those talks should succeed. This province cannot afford two opposition parties while David Eby measures the timing of an election. David Eby would rather call an election while this party is finding its feet than defend what his government has actually done. Families in this province already know that record. I have not given up on British Columbia. I do not think the people who live here have either. -30- SOURCE Office of John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes For further information: Office of John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes Please contact the constituency office. John Rustad is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nechako Lakes and former leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.