B.C. Conservative Leader Rustad confirms search of MLA phones to find leak

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s Opposition Leader John Rustad confirms the cellphones of Conservative members were searched during a meeting this week to find a leak from inside his caucus. 

Rustad said on Thursday the phones were searched by other members to “make sure that there was nothing that had gone out that was inappropriate.” 

The search didn’t reveal anything that concerned Rustad, who said looking through members phones isn’t something the party does “on a regular basis.” 

It was prompted following a discussion during the caucus meeting about “some leaked information” that appeared on social media, he said. 

Rustad said “there was a tweet that seemed to indicate there was information that got out.”

“I said, ‘well, there is one way, that we could look at and that is if we reviewed, take a look at people’s phones,'” he said. 

Not all of the Conservative members “expressed interest” in having their phones searched, “but the vast majority” agreed, Rustad said. 

While the leak wasn’t found, Rustad said the party expects discipline from caucus members. 

“We expect people to be part of our team to be able to move forward, and if anybody is working against that, then we have a series of disciplinary actions that will be taken.” 

Former Conservative member Elenore Sturko, who was kicked out of caucus last month after having crossed the floor to join the party last year, said it is “shocking” that Rustad remains leader.

“I don’t understand how caucus members would be able to work under a leader who has so little faith in them, who makes them work under a cloud of suspicion, and frankly, I don’t understand why Mr. Rustad thinks he can continue this way.” 

Sturko said she remains friends with several members of the Conservative caucus and she can’t imagine the level of pressure and scrutiny they are experiencing. 

“If you really have that little trust that the members of your caucus have your back, I would think that that is a pretty big signal that they don’t believe in your leadership,” she said. 

Attorney General Niki Sharma said an unrelated news conference on Thursday that she had never heard of such an actions. 

“I would be surprised that that would be an action that would be taken, and in terms of the privacy and the protection of the caucus members, and what they contained on their phone, it seems problematic to me.” 

Rustad, who was first elected in 2005 as a B.C. Liberal, said there was a discussion within that party in 2012 about whether phones should be checked following concerns about leaks. Rustad added that he would have consented to a search of his phone at the time. 

Word of the phone search came after Rustad told Conservative MLAs on Monday to avoid voting on a motion by the NDP that condemned the “intolerant views” of the Association for the Reformed Political Action, for its opinions on transgender people, homosexuality and abortion access. 

The lobby group held an event in the legislature in the spring, where 20 Conservative MLAs, including Rustad attended. 

When the vote on the NDP’s motion came up late Monday, none of 40 Conservative MLAs were in their seats. The motion passed 48 to three with Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong of One BC joining independent Jordan Kealy in opposition. 

On Wednesday, 37 out of 40 Conservative MLAs voted in favour of a private member’s bill from Armstrong that would have given parents the right to sue doctors up to 25 years after they provided care for transgender children.

Rustad said he would be “whipping” votes that would involve what he called “dog-whistle policies and approaches coming from this NDP government.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.