[PODCAST]: John Rustad

If Time magazine had a British Columbian edition, Conservative Leader John Rustad would surely be 2024 Newsmaker of the Year. Within 18 short months, Rustad catapulted himself and the BC Conservatives from basement obscurity (metaphoric and literal) to leader of an official party and the largest Opposition in the province’s history. Under Rustad, Conservatives ballooned into a big, if unruly, tent party that very nearly won government. The journey has been rocky, at light speed, and it’s far from over – the party is still being built. But Rustad survived his first leadership review, and despite losing three disaffected MLAs from his caucus in March, his Opposition team has managed to pull off several legislative and policy successes. One of the challenges for politicians is trying to reduce complex topics to a sound bite or a news headline. Our podcasts are about slowing things down a notch. Rustad swung by our studio for an extended conversation that ended up covering a lot of ground: The “tipping point” of escalating provincial debt; how to strengthen our economy; why investment is fleeing the province; what Donald Trump really wants; the nuclear “conversation” we need to have; the stuff the BC NDP are not being straight about, and why he likes cutting the grass.As a former BC Liberal Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (2013 to 2017), Rustad expressed particular worry about the “vulnerabilities” he says the BC government is creating by its handling of Indigenous rights and title.“Government is doing things willy nilly, without understanding of the unintended consequences,” he says.Listen to the whole podcast by clicking the link at the top of the page.For a glimpse of how and why Rustad and the BC Conservatives skyrocketed into political relevancy, check out our 2024 profile of John Rustad [photos by Northern Beat’s favourite photographer, Chad Hipolito].Hope you enjoy the conversation and let us know what you think.Thanks, as always, for your interest and support.FranPodcast producer: Rob Shaw This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit northernbeatnews.substack.com/subscribe