British Columbia Conservative Party Leader John Rustad was at a low point in his life two years ago, both personally and politically.

He was searching for a political home after being booted from the former B.C. Liberal Party caucus.

Rustad, 61, was also grieving back-to-back-to-back family losses and his own health had taken a downturn.

含羞草研究社淭wenty-twenty-two was a very difficult year for my family,含羞草研究社� said Rustad. 含羞草研究社淢y father passed away in January. My father-in-law passed in February. I had shingles in April and then my mother passed in July.含羞草研究社�

Then came August 2022 when Rustad was banished from the B.C. Liberal caucus, now BC United, for his social media support of an outspoken climate change critic.

Times have changed since then.

Rustad said he含羞草研究社檚 healthy, has had more time to get over the loss of loved ones, and today he含羞草研究社檚 leading the once marginal B.C. Conservative Party into an election campaign as a serious challenger to the two-term New Democrats led by David Eby.

In the 2020 election, the B.C. Conservatives received less than two per cent of the popular vote and didn含羞草研究社檛 win a seat, but are now considered contenders against the NDP.

Rustad said he underwent a period of deep introspection while sitting in the B.C. legislature as an Independent, before he was acclaimed as Leader of the B.C. Conservative Party in March 2023.

含羞草研究社淚 explored a number of options in the fall of 2022 after being kicked out, and what it came down to was the Conservatives were the vehicle that made the most sense,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 explored everything from retiring to switching to different levels of politics. I even had conversations with the old Social Credit Party, with the people who were in control of that party.含羞草研究社�

Despite being in the political wilderness for decades, the opportunity to undertake a revival for the B.C. Conservative Party and give voters a new voice on the centre-right proved to make the most sense, Rustad said.

含羞草研究社淚 had no confidence that Kevin Falcon and the B.C. Liberals, now of course BC United Party, could win the next election,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淭hat got me thinking if the B.C. Liberals can含羞草研究社檛 do it and the vote is divided, then this problem could go all the way to 2028 and if we can含羞草研究社檛 win then it would be 2032 before we could get rid of the socialist hordes out of Victoria,含羞草研究社� he said, referencing a slogan used by Social Credit leader WAC Bennett, who was provincial premier from 1952 to 1972.

Rustad, whose family has deep roots in B.C.含羞草研究社檚 forest industry that go back generations, comes across more as a bookworm than a lumberjack.

Born and raised in Prince George, B.C., Rustad said he含羞草研究社檚 been involved in the forest industry for much of his life.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e done everything in forestry from working in a mill to tree planting to timber supply analysis to forest development plans and everything in between,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 ran my own company from 1995 and I shut it down in 2002 when I started heading toward politics.含羞草研究社�

Elected in 2005, Rustad含羞草研究社檚 Nechako Lakes riding in central B.C. includes the forest-industry dependent communities of Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Houston and Fort St. James.

含羞草研究社淧olitics was never actually an ambition of mine,含羞草研究社� Rustad said. 含羞草研究社淚t was never a goal. But things were going so badly in the 1990s that by the year 2000, I actually talked about moving to Calgary with my wife because of the disastrous environment we had in B.C.含羞草研究社�

He said he decided to stay, but 含羞草研究社渢hat left me with two choices, either live with it or get involved and try to change it. I discovered I actually enjoy politics, which was quite surprising to me.含羞草研究社�

Rustad and his wife, Kim, live at Cluculz Lake, a small community 40 kilometres west of Prince George.

The couple has no children, with Rustad publicly acknowledging his wife含羞草研究社檚 earlier diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Rustad was a keynote speaker at a Reclaiming Canada conference in Victoria in May 2023, held 含羞草研究社渋n recognition of the 2022 Freedom Convoy,含羞草研究社� which conducted a series of protests and blockades against Canada含羞草研究社檚 COVID-19 restrictions.

In video of his speech posted online, he told the group he walked through a trucker protest and freedom rally in Vancouver.

含羞草研究社淭he party that I was part of at the time, which was the B.C. Liberal Party, said, 含羞草研究社楧on含羞草研究社檛 go anywhere near it. We can含羞草研究社檛 talk about it, we can含羞草研究社檛 support it. All it will do is cost us votes in the Lower Mainland.含羞草研究社� I looked at them and I thought that含羞草研究社檚 nuts.含羞草研究社�

He said the event reminded him of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

含羞草研究社淧eople were waving flags, they were proud of the country that they belong to, they were singing O Canada at the top of their lungs,含羞草研究社� he said as his voice wavered with emotion.

含羞草研究社淕ood God, that to me is Canada, that is the real power of what we want to see in this province and this country,含羞草研究社� he said to applause.

Prof. David Black, a political communications specialist at Greater Victoria含羞草研究社檚 Royal Roads University, said Rustad has played the lead role in the biggest political story of the year in B.C., the rise of the Conservatives and the demise of BC United.

Falcon surprisingly folded BC United含羞草研究社檚 election campaign last month, urging voters to support Rustad含羞草研究社檚 Conservatives to prevent a centre-right vote split and a likely NDP re-election.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not often that we can say that climate skepticism was the making of a politician含羞草研究社檚 rise, as it含羞草研究社檚 usually career destroying,含羞草研究社� said Black.

But the opposite occurred, and Rustad, a Conservative from B.C.含羞草研究社檚 north with experience in the resource economy and Indigenous relations faces Eby, a socially concerned left-wing lawyer from Vancouver, said Black.

含羞草研究社淚n this sense, both Eby and Rustad are out of central casting as we think about B.C. politicians,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hey personify and give voice to the political culture of the regions and political subcultures out of which they come.含羞草研究社�

Andrew Weaver, a world-renowned climate scientist and former B.C. Green Party leader, said he spoke with Rustad in the lead-up to the campaign and discovered they have more in common that he previously thought.

含羞草研究社淛ohn Rustad含羞草研究社檚 views on climate are clearly not the same as mine,含羞草研究社� said Weaver. 含羞草研究社淏ut the gaps there are not as great as some people may think.含羞草研究社�

Rustad is a person who listens to views and gathers information before making decisions, said Weaver.

含羞草研究社淐limate change is real,含羞草研究社� Rustad said. 含羞草研究社淢an is having an impact on the climate. I just look at it and think taxing people into poverty can含羞草研究社檛 change the weather.含羞草研究社�

He said he will continue to have talks with Weaver on issues of climate and resources.

Rustad said he expects to face NDP attacks during the campaign on his party含羞草研究社檚 plans to remove ideology from the classroom, scrap the carbon tax, support pipeline construction, oppose vaccine mandates and reallocate post-secondary education funding to promote training in medicine, engineering and skilled trades.

Eby recently said reproductive freedom issues will likely be raised during B.C.含羞草研究社檚 election campaign, suggesting Rustad含羞草研究社檚 Conservatives may not support current women含羞草研究社檚 access policies and programs.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 fairly safe to say that he is at best ambivalent about reproductive freedom and at worst hostile to it 含羞草研究社� that women含羞草研究社檚 access to abortion, women含羞草研究社檚 access to free birth control, is on the ballot this election, just like it is in the United States,含羞草研究社� said Eby.

Rustad said previously his party will not reopen the abortion debate, noting the federal government regulates the issue.

含羞草研究社淚 have no problem just standing for what I believe is right,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 have no problem just saying it like it is. You sleep well at night when you know you are standing for what you believe in.含羞草研究社�