BC Conservative Leader Sparks Gender Education Debate, Gains Popularity in Latest Poll
The topic of gender identity has dominated British Columbia’s culture wars for some time, and the division was on full display this week as BC MLAs returned to the legislature to kick off the fall session.
It is a particularly interesting session, as the Conservative Party of BC now has official party status after former BC United MLA Bruce Banman crossed the floor last month to join party leader John Rustad. This means four parties are now represented in the legislature: the BC New Democrats, BC United, BC Green Party, and the BC Conservatives.
Formerly with BC United, Rustad was booted from the party’s caucus last year due to social media posts he made about anthropogenic climate change. He independently served his riding of Nechacko Lakes for several months before joining the BC Conservatives in March this year.
“British Columbians deserve a party that’s going to fight for BC – not just for its own party insiders and elites,” said Rustad at the time, further noting that he won’t “check which way the wind is blowing” before making a decision.
Fast forward seven months to the beginning of the fall session and the Nechacko Lakes MLA used his first question in the legislature to criticize how sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) is approached in schools.
Judging by the collective response from the ruling NDP, opposing BC United, BC Greens, and the much of the public – Rustad may as well have pulled the pin from a live grenade and lobbed it at the premier himself.
“Thousands of British Columbians, many of them from minority communities, have been protesting against SOGI, which was initially introduced by the BC United Liberals,” Rustad told the legislature.
He explained that parents are “concerned about the sexualization of their children” under the current government’s education system.
“Will the minister admit that SOGI 123 has been divisive, an assault on parent’s rights, and a distraction on student education,” Rustad concluded.
Premier David Eby responded in grandiose fashion.
“I welcome the member of the house as the leader of his new party, but I gotta say this is not an auspicious start,” Eby said.
“To come into this place, use the authority of his office, his new party, to find a small group of kids in our province – and to leverage all that to make them feel less safe at school, less safe in our community, and to feed the fires of division in our province and bring culture war to British Columbia, it is not welcome.”
Eby highlighted that Rustad supported the same policies while sitting on the BC United side of the house.
The premier continued his tirade.
“He [Rustad] sees political advantage in picking on kids, families, and teachers who are just trying to do their best for kids who are at risk of suicide. Shame on him! Choose another question!” Eby shouted, conjuring an eruption of applause followed by a standing ovation across the house.
The BC Conservative leader then accused the current government of stoking division, reminding Eby that thousands of people have hit the streets and protested school board offices.
“There are kids taking part in this because they are disturbed at what’s happening in their schools,” Rustad explained.
“This isn’t about attacking a particular group of people, Mr. Speaker, this is about having a policy that is inclusive, that is anti-bullying, that is supportive so that everyone feels safe. Right now we have kids running home from school going to the bathroom because they don’t feel safe in a school, and that is the government’s fault,” he said, sparking an explosion of visceral discontent.
Rustad then highlighted an incident that occurred in his riding last week where – according to Rustad – two young indigenous girls were suspended from school for participating in an anti-SOGI protest.
Keeping in line with his party leader the following day, Banman also used his first question to call out the government for allowing what he says are sexually explicit books in public schools, inducing another emotional response.
Despite widespread condemnation from political pundits and media personalities alike, the BC Conservative’s popularity among British Columbians continues to grow, according to a new poll – and the newly-minted party’s growth is leaching support from BC United.
Released Thursday by Leger, the poll shows Rustad’s Conservatives in second place with 25 percent of the province’s voting intention, ahead of Kevin Falcon’s BC United at 19 percent.
Eby’s NDP has 42 percent of intended voters.
