Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare says leadership rules meant to stop ‘funny business’

VICTORIA – A leadership candidate for British Columbia’s Conservatives says recently announced rules for the contest are intended to stop “any funny business” following last year’s leadership review that was marred by fraud allegations.

Sheldon Clare says there were a “lot of perceptions, misplaced and otherwise,” during last year’s review of former leader John Rustad, who resigned Dec. 4, and he says the rules announced Friday make “it very clear that there’s no nonsense allowed.”

Last year’s review saw the party disqualify more than 2,000 new memberships amid questions about their validity, and the rules announced Friday require new members to provide valid information matching Elections BC records, restrict payment methods and disallow late bulk sign-ups that cannot be verified.  

Clare, who represents the riding of Prince George-North Cariboo, says the rules are meant to make sure everything happening in the leadership race is “above board, transparent and squeaky clean,” so the party’s new leader and future premier of B.C. is “beyond reproach.” 

Clare also says the $115,000 entry fee for the race is “designed to separate the serious from the less-than-serious.”

But Clare says he is confident he can meet the requirement, based on the calls and offers of support he has received. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing who else does,” he said in an interview Saturday.

Leadership contestant Yuri Fulmer called the entrance fee reasonable, because anyone who wants to lead the party to victory in the next election against Premier David Eby will need to raise millions in funds. 

“If you can’t raise $115,000 as a leadership candidate, I don’t see how you’ll be able to fundraise as (party leader) against the well-oiled NDP campaign machine,” Fulmer said in a statement.

Fulmer commended the committee that developed the rules, saying it did an excellent job in a short timeframe to produce a “fair and common sense” framework for the leadership election.

Clare agreed.

“I’m not privy to the deliberations of the committee, but I suspect that there is some pressure in that the government could call an election any time, to get this (contest) over with relatively quickly,” he said. 

The party says the nomination deadline is Feb. 15. Voting under a preferential ballot system will take place from May 9 to May 30, with results announced on May 30 at the party’s leadership convention.

Conservative MLA Peter Milobar, commentator Caroline Elliott, former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Iain Black and Rossland contractor Warren Hamm have also said that they are running for the party’s leadership.

Former grocery executive Darrell Jones and Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu have also said that they are seriously considering a run for the leadership. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2026.