Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko announced that she is leaving the BC United Party to join the BC Conservatives.
This marks the second BC United MLA to change their party affiliation to BC Conservative within the span of a week.
In a statement announcing the floor crossing on Monday, Sturko – the former RCMP officer and star candidate for BC United – said that her decision to switch parties to become a BC Conservative was motivated by a desire to see the governing NDP driven out of power and replaced with a grassroots conservative party.
“I want to help John Rustad build that grassroots coalition of conservatives, liberals, and independents into a winning team that can repair the damage caused by the NDP and their mismanagement and incompetence,” said
“British Columbians deserve more, and I believe the BC Conservatives can deliver thatcommon sense change that everyday, hardworking people are looking for.”
Sturko joins MLA Lorne Doerkson in defecting from BC United, marking the fourth MLA in total to join the BC Conservatives since United leader Kevin Falcon had booted BC Conservative leader John Rustad from his former party.
Sturko says that much like Doerkson, she had been hearing great support from her constituents for the BC Conservatives prompting her to consider switching party affiliations.
“It’s easy to dismiss the polls, but it’s impossible to dismiss what I hear on the doorstep when I’m talking to voters,” said Sturko.
“Like the voters in my riding, I don’t believe the NDP deserve to win the next election, but when we split the vote we are handing them an election win, and four more years of a David Eby government that has not delivered on housing, public safety, affordability, healthcare, education, or mental health and addictions.”
Rustad said that Sturko’s addition reinforces the BC Conservatives’ image of a big tent party that can accommodate all anti-NDP voters and praised Sturko for her criticism of the government’s approach to BC’s addictions crisis.
“Elenore’s decision to join us reinforces that we are building a big tent, with room for everyone who wants to defeat the NDP and elect a common sense government that respects taxpayers hard earned wages,” said Rustad.
“In the legislature, Elenore has distinguished herself by holding the government to account for its failed decriminalization of deadly drugs that has hurt every neighbourhood and community in our province.”
Sturko will be replacing the BC Conservatives’ candidate Jody Toor as the candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale who will now run as the candidate for the Langley Willowbrook riding.
Polls show that the BC United’s support in Surrey-Cloverdale is set to collapse, with the BC Conservatives placing in a close second place behind the NDP according to 338Canada.
In a comment to True North, BC United condemned Sturko for crossing the floor, claiming that Sturko had only made this decision in an attempt to protect her pension.
“Elenore’s decision to run for a party that is so out of line with her values and priorities in a new riding is shocking, and shows she cares more about her pension than her principles,” said a BC United spokesperson.
“Elenore will have to explain to her supporters and voters why she is joining a party with candidates who have called her a ‘groomer’, ‘hypocrite”, ‘hypersensitive’, ‘woke’, ‘far-left’, a ‘COVID zealot’ and accused her of ‘pushing radical ideologies on kids’. Why else would Elenore run on a slate of candidates who are COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, anti-LGBTQ+ rights, anti-choice and climate change denialists?”
In a nine page document, the BC United have assembled several tweets that Sturko had posted to X in which she had criticized the BC Conservatives for their policies and statements and vice versa.
Among the tweets documented are posts of Sturko condemning BC Conservative MLA Bruce Banman for calling homosexuality a lifestyle, criticizing a statement Rustad had made on Orange Shirt Day, and their vote against Bill 34 this past legislative session.
On the flipside, BC United highlighted tweets from BC Conservative candidates in which they accused Sturko of voting for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling her a “social justice warrior,” and a “COVID zealot.”
In an interview with the National Post, Sturko said that she had some reservations about joining the BC Conservatives when Rustad had initially approached her in December, but had a change of heart after getting to know Rustad, who she says is a “very kind person.”
“I think it’s important to recognize that in a coalition, there’s going to be a wide spectrum of opinions and beliefs,” Sturko told the National Post.
“I would never support any kind of legislation that would infringe upon or take away the rights of another person. And I know that John Rustad feels the same way.”
Sturko had been a star candidate for BC United in a by-election for Surrey South, winning with 52% of the vote. coming from a background of service in the RCMP as a sergeant and a spokesperson for the Mounties.
The upcoming BC election will be held Oct. 19 of this year.
