Reactions to Surrey South MLA Elenore SturkoB次元官网网址檚 decision to leave the BC United Party and join the Conservatives Party of BC were decidedly mixed across the board.
Many were surprised by her Monday move, pointing to her social media post nine months ago, where she told BC Conservative Leader John Rustad that he needed to B次元官网网址渕ake an unequivocal apologyB次元官网网址� for calling homosexuality a B次元官网网址渓ifestyleB次元官网网址� and having B次元官网网址渄oubled down in his ignorance.B次元官网网址�
In Victoria, Sturko stood beside Rustad Monday (June 3) as the leader of her new party, after she defected from the BC United, delivering another blow to the official Opposition just months before a provincial election.
Her move comes after Lorne Doerkson, the former BC United caucus chair, also jumped from BC United on Friday. BC United lost another election candidate B次元官网网址� Brandon Fonseca, who was to run for Coquitlam-Maillardville B次元官网网址� on Tuesday, with Fonseca calling on BC United candidates to B次元官网网址渄o the right thing and unite behind John RustadB次元官网网址檚 movementB次元官网网址� in a post on X.
Sturko now brings the number of Conservative members in the legislature to four.
BC United reacts
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely disappointing, but not a surprise,B次元官网网址� said Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, a BC United MLA whose riding neighbours SturkoB次元官网网址檚.
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B次元官网网址淭his is a decision that, at the end of the day, sheB次元官网网址檚 going to have to justify for her new constituents and to the people that worked hard to get her where she was in the byelection, including myself and people like Dianne Watts and others. Loyalty is a big deal in this business, and thatB次元官网网址檚 something sheB次元官网网址檚 going to be (held) accountable for,B次元官网网址� he said.
The BC Conservatives have not been courting him, he noted.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a hard no. I signed up with the team. IB次元官网网址檓 loyal to that team,B次元官网网址� Halford said.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been a big believer in B次元官网网址榊ou dance with the person you brought,B次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 not changing for me.B次元官网网址�
The move by Sturko B次元官网网址� a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LBTGQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools B次元官网网址� surprised many, including BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He said on Monday he felt a personal sense of betrayal, given that he B次元官网网址渞eally went out on a limbB次元官网网址� to appoint Sturko as his partyB次元官网网址檚 candidate in the 2022 byelection in Surrey South.
Falcon said he raised money for her and went door knocking on SturkoB次元官网网址檚 behalf.
B次元官网网址淪he has used very colourful language in our caucus and with myself about her views on the BC Conservatives, and it is not flattering,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗ow she can go from that, a position she held as recently as within the last two weeks, to suddenly joining them? I think thatB次元官网网址檚 a real challenge that sheB次元官网网址檒l have to explain B次元官网网址� and defend that to her constituents.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址楧eath spiralB次元官网网址� for BC United
Stewart Prest, who teaches political science at the University of British Columbia, said the defection of Doerkson, then Sturko shows BC United MLAs voting with their feet.
B次元官网网址淲e are seeing what looks like a death spiral for the BC United Party,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are having an informal B次元官网网址� merger by attrition.B次元官网网址�
He called SturkoB次元官网网址檚 defection to the Conservatives a B次元官网网址渟ignificant coupB次元官网网址� for the party because Falcon had hand-picked Sturko to run in the Surrey South byelection. Sturko was to be B次元官网网址渆mblematicB次元官网网址� of the party that Falcon was trying to create B次元官网网址� strong on issues like public safety, but also inclusive that would welcome members of the LGBTQ2+ community, he added.
SturkoB次元官网网址檚 defection now gives the party additional visibility and the inside track to be the main anti-NDP vehicle, Prest said.
B次元官网网址淲herever you look, the writing is on the wallB次元官网网址� the B.C. Conservatives offer the most recognizable choice to go into the fall election,B次元官网网址� he said.
But a lot still needs to be learnt about the provincial Conservatives, Prest added. Sturko herself will also face questions about her decision. While SturkoB次元官网网址檚 move B次元官网网址渟uddenly opensB次元官网网址� the door for the provincial Conservatives to seem B次元官网网址渕ore like a big tent party,B次元官网网址� it also raises choices about what kind of choices she is making.
B次元官网网址淪he is blowing in the same direction as the wind,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that she explicitly referred to the polls.
While she might not consider the differences between BC United and BC Conservatives on cultural issues to B次元官网网址渂e top of mind,B次元官网网址� Prest predicts that questions about those differences will continue.
B次元官网网址淲hat will happen when we see these issues come up for debate and some of her now-fellow party members are much less willing to speak about the importance of an inclusive society?B次元官网网址�
LGBTQ2+ community responds
Surrey Pride Society president Martin Rooney said he found it hard to understand SturkoB次元官网网址檚 decision.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very disappointing,B次元官网网址� he said Monday. B次元官网网址淲hen you lose somebody in your community to run on a social conservative platform with all of the equality fights that are still ongoing, I fail to understand.B次元官网网址�
Sturko said Monday she had changed her mind about RustadB次元官网网址檚 stance on sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum in schools, that once saw her give Premier David Eby a standing ovation in the legislature when he told Rustad he should be ashamed of himself for focusing on it.
Sturko said she now believes the curriculum known as SOGI 123 has eroded parental trust in public education.
B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檝e actually seen is that SOGI has become divisive,B次元官网网址� Sturko said in an interview. B次元官网网址淲hether itB次元官网网址檚 from perception, I think that the name, even calling it SOGI, IB次元官网网址檓 not sure that we would be able to win back the support of parents and families.
B次元官网网址淲hether itB次元官网网址檚 those real concerns or whether itB次元官网网址檚 a perception, we need to finally end this divisiveness and make sure that we allow people to put this to bed and get kids back to feeling safe in their classrooms.B次元官网网址�
Rooney said Sturko, a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LGBTQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools, must have her reasons for the decision.
B次元官网网址淪OGI is not on the curriculum. SOGI is a concept B次元官网网址� a concept where all students are treated equally and all student are safe B次元官网网址� thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing in SOGI that makes people gay. You canB次元官网网址檛 make somebody gay,B次元官网网址� Rooney said.
B次元官网网址淎s somebody who has been fighting for equality for 30 years and who believed Surrey was progressing, itB次元官网网址檚 very disappointing for a member of our community to represent a political party that does not believe in equity.B次元官网网址�
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called SturkoB次元官网网址檚 defection a B次元官网网址渉uge betrayalB次元官网网址� of the LGBTQ2+ community, adding that his government will always protect the rights of that community.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unbelievable, frankly,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淜nowing everything that the community has gone through, being a member of that community myself, I just find it, quite frankly, beyond belief that somebody would make that kind of leap to run for a party that quite frankly, that has shown itself to be intolerant, to show itself transphobic, to show itself homophobic.B次元官网网址�
Sturko defends decision
Sturko said she has been in talks with Falcon since December about B次元官网网址渢he art of the possibleB次元官网网址� when it comes to working with the Conservative Party of BC.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been hearing from constituents that B次元官网网址榊ou have to do something to defeat the NDP,B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 a message IB次元官网网址檝e consistently heard for months,B次元官网网址� she said.
She was hopeful BC United and the Conservatives could work together, but when that was not successful, Sturko said that was the B次元官网网址渓ast turning pointB次元官网网址� for her.
B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day I made a decision to move over to what I believe is the new coalition, and I joined the Conservatives of Bristish Columbia,B次元官网网址� she said, noting B.C. has a history of coalitions, pointing to longest-serving premier WAC Bennett.
B次元官网网址�(Bennett) did some amazing work for infrastructure and things we benefit from to this dayB次元官网网址� we know that working together B次元官网网址� in coalitions we have things we may not agree on, but itB次元官网网址檚 getting together and focusing on the things that matter most to British Columbians where we do agree,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淔or example, building a strong robust economy, fixing our collapsed health care system, making sure that we are building housing and lowering the cost of living here so that British Columbians do not feel like thereB次元官网网址檚 no future for them in B.C.B次元官网网址�
As for past social media feuds, Sturko said exchanging barbs and going after each other on social media is B次元官网网址渟ort of the politics of the day,B次元官网网址� and that she feels B次元官网网址渃ompletely comfortableB次元官网网址� working with Rustad and her new colleagues after several conversations with Rustad.
Sturko said she had not turned against the LGBTQ2+ community at all.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not the case. I will never change or hide who I am and I will continue to advocate for my community. In a coalition, thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be a diverse range of view but certainly hate is not acceptable,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not about focusing on where we have differences. John made it very clear that we do support the rights of all British Columbians and that we want to create a party that is inclusive.B次元官网网址�
She noted that every single day, people come to her office about loved ones languishing in hospital hallways, or because they canB次元官网网址檛 get cancer treatment, or because theyB次元官网网址檙e concerned about overcrowding in schools.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not just a lesbian,B次元官网网址� Sturko said. B次元官网网址淎t the same time IB次元官网网址檓 a mother. I am a community member who relies on B.C.B次元官网网址檚 health-care system and I have children who will eventually be looking for housing in B.C.B次元官网网址�
She said she will continue to represent the LGBTQ2+ community, B次元官网网址渂ut as a mother with students in the school system.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淏eing a lesbian has very little to do with how I do my work.B次元官网网址�
Part of her current Surrey South riding will actually be in the Surrey-Cloverdale riding she will be running in this fall, because of changes to electoral district boundaries, she noted.
B次元官网网址� with files from Canadian Press
