Reactions to Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渕ake an unequivocal apology含羞草研究社� for calling homosexuality a 含羞草研究社渓ifestyle含羞草研究社� and having 含羞草研究社渄oubled down in his ignorance.含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社� Brandon Fonseca, who was to run for Coquitlam-Maillardville 含羞草研究社� on Tuesday, with Fonseca calling on BC United candidates to 含羞草研究社渄o the right thing and unite behind John Rustad含羞草研究社檚 movement含羞草研究社� in a post on X.
Sturko now brings the number of Conservative members in the legislature to four.
BC United reacts
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 definitely disappointing, but not a surprise,含羞草研究社� said Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, a BC United MLA whose riding neighbours Sturko含羞草研究社檚.
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含羞草研究社淭his is a decision that, at the end of the day, she含羞草研究社檚 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 that含羞草研究社檚 something she含羞草研究社檚 going to be (held) accountable for,含羞草研究社� he said.
The BC Conservatives have not been courting him, he noted.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 a hard no. I signed up with the team. I含羞草研究社檓 loyal to that team,含羞草研究社� Halford said.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e always been a big believer in 含羞草研究社榊ou dance with the person you brought,含羞草研究社� and that含羞草研究社檚 not changing for me.含羞草研究社�
The move by Sturko 含羞草研究社� a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LBTGQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools 含羞草研究社� surprised many, including BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He said on Monday he felt a personal sense of betrayal, given that he 含羞草研究社渞eally went out on a limb含羞草研究社� to appoint Sturko as his party含羞草研究社檚 candidate in the 2022 byelection in Surrey South.
Falcon said he raised money for her and went door knocking on Sturko含羞草研究社檚 behalf.
含羞草研究社淪he has used very colourful language in our caucus and with myself about her views on the BC Conservatives, and it is not flattering,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淗ow she can go from that, a position she held as recently as within the last two weeks, to suddenly joining them? I think that含羞草研究社檚 a real challenge that she含羞草研究社檒l have to explain 含羞草研究社� and defend that to her constituents.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社楧eath spiral含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淲e are seeing what looks like a death spiral for the BC United Party,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e are having an informal 含羞草研究社� merger by attrition.含羞草研究社�
He called Sturko含羞草研究社檚 defection to the Conservatives a 含羞草研究社渟ignificant coup含羞草研究社� for the party because Falcon had hand-picked Sturko to run in the Surrey South byelection. Sturko was to be 含羞草研究社渆mblematic含羞草研究社� of the party that Falcon was trying to create 含羞草研究社� strong on issues like public safety, but also inclusive that would welcome members of the LGBTQ2+ community, he added.
Sturko含羞草研究社檚 defection now gives the party additional visibility and the inside track to be the main anti-NDP vehicle, Prest said.
含羞草研究社淲herever you look, the writing is on the wall含羞草研究社� the B.C. Conservatives offer the most recognizable choice to go into the fall election,含羞草研究社� 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 Sturko含羞草研究社檚 move 含羞草研究社渟uddenly opens含羞草研究社� the door for the provincial Conservatives to seem 含羞草研究社渕ore like a big tent party,含羞草研究社� it also raises choices about what kind of choices she is making.
含羞草研究社淪he is blowing in the same direction as the wind,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渂e top of mind,含羞草研究社� Prest predicts that questions about those differences will continue.
含羞草研究社淲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?含羞草研究社�
LGBTQ2+ community responds
Surrey Pride Society president Martin Rooney said he found it hard to understand Sturko含羞草研究社檚 decision.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 very disappointing,含羞草研究社� he said Monday. 含羞草研究社淲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.含羞草研究社�
Sturko said Monday she had changed her mind about Rustad含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淲hat we含羞草研究社檝e actually seen is that SOGI has become divisive,含羞草研究社� Sturko said in an interview. 含羞草研究社淲hether it含羞草研究社檚 from perception, I think that the name, even calling it SOGI, I含羞草研究社檓 not sure that we would be able to win back the support of parents and families.
含羞草研究社淲hether it含羞草研究社檚 those real concerns or whether it含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淪OGI is not on the curriculum. SOGI is a concept 含羞草研究社� a concept where all students are treated equally and all student are safe 含羞草研究社� there含羞草研究社檚 nothing in SOGI that makes people gay. You can含羞草研究社檛 make somebody gay,含羞草研究社� Rooney said.
含羞草研究社淎s somebody who has been fighting for equality for 30 years and who believed Surrey was progressing, it含羞草研究社檚 very disappointing for a member of our community to represent a political party that does not believe in equity.含羞草研究社�
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called Sturko含羞草研究社檚 defection a 含羞草研究社渉uge betrayal含羞草研究社� of the LGBTQ2+ community, adding that his government will always protect the rights of that community.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 unbelievable, frankly,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淜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.含羞草研究社�
Sturko defends decision
Sturko said she has been in talks with Falcon since December about 含羞草研究社渢he art of the possible含羞草研究社� when it comes to working with the Conservative Party of BC.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been hearing from constituents that 含羞草研究社榊ou have to do something to defeat the NDP,含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 a message I含羞草研究社檝e consistently heard for months,含羞草研究社� she said.
She was hopeful BC United and the Conservatives could work together, but when that was not successful, Sturko said that was the 含羞草研究社渓ast turning point含羞草研究社� for her.
含羞草研究社淎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,含羞草研究社� she said, noting B.C. has a history of coalitions, pointing to longest-serving premier WAC Bennett.
含羞草研究社�(Bennett) did some amazing work for infrastructure and things we benefit from to this day含羞草研究社� we know that working together 含羞草研究社� in coalitions we have things we may not agree on, but it含羞草研究社檚 getting together and focusing on the things that matter most to British Columbians where we do agree,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淔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 there含羞草研究社檚 no future for them in B.C.含羞草研究社�
As for past social media feuds, Sturko said exchanging barbs and going after each other on social media is 含羞草研究社渟ort of the politics of the day,含羞草研究社� and that she feels 含羞草研究社渃ompletely comfortable含羞草研究社� working with Rustad and her new colleagues after several conversations with Rustad.
Sturko said she had not turned against the LGBTQ2+ community at all.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 not the case. I will never change or hide who I am and I will continue to advocate for my community. In a coalition, there含羞草研究社檚 going to be a diverse range of view but certainly hate is not acceptable,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
She noted that every single day, people come to her office about loved ones languishing in hospital hallways, or because they can含羞草研究社檛 get cancer treatment, or because they含羞草研究社檙e concerned about overcrowding in schools.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 not just a lesbian,含羞草研究社� Sturko said. 含羞草研究社淎t the same time I含羞草研究社檓 a mother. I am a community member who relies on B.C.含羞草研究社檚 health-care system and I have children who will eventually be looking for housing in B.C.含羞草研究社�
She said she will continue to represent the LGBTQ2+ community, 含羞草研究社渂ut as a mother with students in the school system.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淏eing a lesbian has very little to do with how I do my work.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社� with files from Canadian Press
