Leader profile: John Rustad on competition, change and the future of B.C.

One-on-one with John Rustad John Rustad became leader of the BC Conservatives in March of last year. Now he finds himself in a race to be premier.

John Rustad never aspired to be a politician.

In fact, he almost quit politics altogether.

But now he’s running for B.C.’s top job, leading his once-dormant party to a surge in popularity.

“Down time? What’s that?” asked Rustad, the leader of the Conservative Party of B.C.

“I only know one speed, which is just go and get things done,” he said.

Rustad, 61, was born and raised in Prince George.

“I spent most of my winters downhill skiing, both competitively as well as for fun,” he said.

That competitive instinct perhaps prepared him for the race he’s now in to become B.C.’s premier.

“Obviously, elections are competitive. It is the ultimate competition. People will vote and decide one over the other. But, to me, it’s about the ideas you present as opposed to necessarily that head-on-head stuff,” Rustad said in an interview with CTV News.

Rustad lives in a small community west of Prince George with his wife Kim and their pet parrot Biardi, which is the source of plenty of entertainment for the couple.

“If we’re having a late morning and we haven’t had a shower yet, she (the parrot) will say, ‘Are you going to take a shower?’ And then she gets to the place where she says, ‘Go shower!’” Said a laughing Rustad.

When the couple first talked about getting a pet, they considered a dog or a cat. But ultimately, Biardi, who is 31, stole their hearts.

“We’ve had her for a long time,” he explained. “She will likely outlive us if she stays healthy, which then means we have to think of how we provide for her going forward.”

Rustad and his wife met while working on theatre productions and married in 1995.

“A few years after being married we talked about having children and, unfortunately, my wife was diagnosed with cervical cancer,” he said.

His wife has been a key source of support to him through 20 years of provincial politics.

“Politics was never an ambition,” he explained.

“As a matter of fact, if somebody had said in the '90s that I would even be in politics – let alone leadership – I would have been laughing,” Rustad said.

In 2022, Rustad, who has spent many years working in the forest sector, considered quitting politics.

“2022 was a difficult year for my family,” he explained.

“My father passed in January. My father-in-law passed in February. I had shingles in April. My mom passed in July,” he said.

That summer, he was also booted from the then-BC Liberal caucus for social media support of an outspoken climate change critic.

“Ultimately, when I was kicked out of the BC Liberal Party, that led me to think, ‘OK, I’m in the same boat I was in the year 2000. I don't like what’s going on. Do I either live with it or do I try and change it?’”

He said he opted for change.

“One in two youth are thinking about leaving this province and that’s our future. We need to change conditions in B.C. so that they want to be able to build a future in B.C.,” he said, adding that the economy is currently in “shambles.”

But as Rustad looks to the future, it’s his past that the NDP uses to focus attacks on him during the campaign.

Still, Rustad’s willingness to speak out on controversial subjects has made him more appealing to some voters looking for change.

“I love what I’m doing. I love the opportunity to really help people,” he said.

The only televised leaders debate ahead of the B.C. election is happening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2024. You can watch live on CTV News or stream it on this website.