‘Not going to happen’: Rustad quashes rumours of merger between BC United, BC Conservatives

BC Conservative Leader, John Rustad dismissed rumours of a potential merger between his party and Kevin Falcon’s BC United Wednesday.

In a lengthy — since-deleted — post to social media, Rustad says he tried to join forces with the party but was told to, “[expletive] off.”

This follows reports of a renewed push to “unite the right” in B.C. politics, given the surge in support seen by the BC Conservatives.

A recent Abacus Data poll put them in second place to the BC NDP with 34 per cent support, while BC United fell behind with only 13 per cent.

Recent reports suggest Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West was considering leading the unified party.

Rustad says they have worked hard to beat the NDP on their own, adding he hopes to see Mayor West join his team.

Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley, says a formal merger between the Conservatives and BCU seems entirely unlikely before the Oct. 19 provincial election.

“I would be surprised if they were going to be able to pull off anything major. I think the chances of a merger are really very slim — there simply isn’t time to merge the two parties, write a new constitution, select a new leader, I’m not even sure they would want to go through that exercise,” he told Now You Know host Rob Snow Wednesday.

-With files from Hana Mae Nassar