Reactions to Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 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 乌鸦传媒渕ake an unequivocal apology乌鸦传媒� for calling homosexuality a 乌鸦传媒渓ifestyle乌鸦传媒� and having 乌鸦传媒渄oubled down in his ignorance.乌鸦传媒�
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 乌鸦传媒� Brandon Fonseca, who was to run for Coquitlam-Maillardville 乌鸦传媒� on Tuesday, with Fonseca calling on BC United candidates to 乌鸦传媒渄o the right thing and unite behind John Rustad乌鸦传媒檚 movement乌鸦传媒� in a post on X.
Sturko now brings the number of Conservative members in the legislature to four.
BC United reacts
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 definitely disappointing, but not a surprise,乌鸦传媒� said Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, a BC United MLA whose riding neighbours Sturko乌鸦传媒檚.
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乌鸦传媒淭his is a decision that, at the end of the day, she乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檚 something she乌鸦传媒檚 going to be (held) accountable for,乌鸦传媒� he said.
The BC Conservatives have not been courting him, he noted.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 a hard no. I signed up with the team. I乌鸦传媒檓 loyal to that team,乌鸦传媒� Halford said.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e always been a big believer in 乌鸦传媒榊ou dance with the person you brought,乌鸦传媒� and that乌鸦传媒檚 not changing for me.乌鸦传媒�
The move by Sturko 乌鸦传媒� a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LBTGQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools 乌鸦传媒� surprised many, including BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He said on Monday he felt a personal sense of betrayal, given that he 乌鸦传媒渞eally went out on a limb乌鸦传媒� to appoint Sturko as his party乌鸦传媒檚 candidate in the 2022 byelection in Surrey South.
Falcon said he raised money for her and went door knocking on Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 behalf.
乌鸦传媒淪he has used very colourful language in our caucus and with myself about her views on the BC Conservatives, and it is not flattering,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淗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乌鸦传媒檚 a real challenge that she乌鸦传媒檒l have to explain 乌鸦传媒� and defend that to her constituents.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒楧eath spiral乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淲e are seeing what looks like a death spiral for the BC United Party,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e are having an informal 乌鸦传媒� merger by attrition.乌鸦传媒�
He called Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 defection to the Conservatives a 乌鸦传媒渟ignificant coup乌鸦传媒� for the party because Falcon had hand-picked Sturko to run in the Surrey South byelection. Sturko was to be 乌鸦传媒渆mblematic乌鸦传媒� of the party that Falcon was trying to create 乌鸦传媒� strong on issues like public safety, but also inclusive that would welcome members of the LGBTQ2+ community, he added.
Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 defection now gives the party additional visibility and the inside track to be the main anti-NDP vehicle, Prest said.
乌鸦传媒淲herever you look, the writing is on the wall乌鸦传媒� the B.C. Conservatives offer the most recognizable choice to go into the fall election,乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檚 move 乌鸦传媒渟uddenly opens乌鸦传媒� the door for the provincial Conservatives to seem 乌鸦传媒渕ore like a big tent party,乌鸦传媒� it also raises choices about what kind of choices she is making.
乌鸦传媒淪he is blowing in the same direction as the wind,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渂e top of mind,乌鸦传媒� Prest predicts that questions about those differences will continue.
乌鸦传媒淲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?乌鸦传媒�
LGBTQ2+ community responds
Surrey Pride Society president Martin Rooney said he found it hard to understand Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 decision.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 very disappointing,乌鸦传媒� he said Monday. 乌鸦传媒淲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.乌鸦传媒�
Sturko said Monday she had changed her mind about Rustad乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淲hat we乌鸦传媒檝e actually seen is that SOGI has become divisive,乌鸦传媒� Sturko said in an interview. 乌鸦传媒淲hether it乌鸦传媒檚 from perception, I think that the name, even calling it SOGI, I乌鸦传媒檓 not sure that we would be able to win back the support of parents and families.
乌鸦传媒淲hether it乌鸦传媒檚 those real concerns or whether it乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒�
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.
乌鸦传媒淪OGI is not on the curriculum. SOGI is a concept 乌鸦传媒� a concept where all students are treated equally and all student are safe 乌鸦传媒� there乌鸦传媒檚 nothing in SOGI that makes people gay. You can乌鸦传媒檛 make somebody gay,乌鸦传媒� Rooney said.
乌鸦传媒淎s somebody who has been fighting for equality for 30 years and who believed Surrey was progressing, it乌鸦传媒檚 very disappointing for a member of our community to represent a political party that does not believe in equity.乌鸦传媒�
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 defection a 乌鸦传媒渉uge betrayal乌鸦传媒� of the LGBTQ2+ community, adding that his government will always protect the rights of that community.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 unbelievable, frankly,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淜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.乌鸦传媒�
Sturko defends decision
Sturko said she has been in talks with Falcon since December about 乌鸦传媒渢he art of the possible乌鸦传媒� when it comes to working with the Conservative Party of BC.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been hearing from constituents that 乌鸦传媒榊ou have to do something to defeat the NDP,乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 a message I乌鸦传媒檝e consistently heard for months,乌鸦传媒� she said.
She was hopeful BC United and the Conservatives could work together, but when that was not successful, Sturko said that was the 乌鸦传媒渓ast turning point乌鸦传媒� for her.
乌鸦传媒淎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,乌鸦传媒� she said, noting B.C. has a history of coalitions, pointing to longest-serving premier WAC Bennett.
乌鸦传媒�(Bennett) did some amazing work for infrastructure and things we benefit from to this day乌鸦传媒� we know that working together 乌鸦传媒� in coalitions we have things we may not agree on, but it乌鸦传媒檚 getting together and focusing on the things that matter most to British Columbians where we do agree,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淔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乌鸦传媒檚 no future for them in B.C.乌鸦传媒�
As for past social media feuds, Sturko said exchanging barbs and going after each other on social media is 乌鸦传媒渟ort of the politics of the day,乌鸦传媒� and that she feels 乌鸦传媒渃ompletely comfortable乌鸦传媒� working with Rustad and her new colleagues after several conversations with Rustad.
Sturko said she had not turned against the LGBTQ2+ community at all.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檚 going to be a diverse range of view but certainly hate is not acceptable,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒�
She noted that every single day, people come to her office about loved ones languishing in hospital hallways, or because they can乌鸦传媒檛 get cancer treatment, or because they乌鸦传媒檙e concerned about overcrowding in schools.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not just a lesbian,乌鸦传媒� Sturko said. 乌鸦传媒淎t the same time I乌鸦传媒檓 a mother. I am a community member who relies on B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 health-care system and I have children who will eventually be looking for housing in B.C.乌鸦传媒�
She said she will continue to represent the LGBTQ2+ community, 乌鸦传媒渂ut as a mother with students in the school system.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淏eing a lesbian has very little to do with how I do my work.乌鸦传媒�
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.
乌鸦传媒� with files from Canadian Press
