Reactions to Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko鈥檚 decision to leave the BC United Party and join the Conservatives Party of BC were decidedly mixed across the board.
Many were surprised by her Monday move, pointing to her social media post nine months ago, where she told BC Conservative Leader John Rustad that he needed to 鈥渕ake an unequivocal apology鈥� for calling homosexuality a 鈥渓ifestyle鈥� and having 鈥渄oubled down in his ignorance.鈥�
In Victoria, Sturko stood beside Rustad Monday (June 3) as the leader of her new party, after she defected from the BC United, delivering another blow to the official Opposition just months before a provincial election.
Her move comes after Lorne Doerkson, the former BC United caucus chair, also jumped from BC United on Friday. BC United lost another election candidate 鈥� Brandon Fonseca, who was to run for Coquitlam-Maillardville 鈥� on Tuesday, with Fonseca calling on BC United candidates to 鈥渄o the right thing and unite behind John Rustad鈥檚 movement鈥� in a post on X.
Sturko now brings the number of Conservative members in the legislature to four.
BC United reacts
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely disappointing, but not a surprise,鈥� said Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, a BC United MLA whose riding neighbours Sturko鈥檚.
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鈥淭his is a decision that, at the end of the day, she鈥檚 going to have to justify for her new constituents and to the people that worked hard to get her where she was in the byelection, including myself and people like Dianne Watts and others. Loyalty is a big deal in this business, and that鈥檚 something she鈥檚 going to be (held) accountable for,鈥� he said.
The BC Conservatives have not been courting him, he noted.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a hard no. I signed up with the team. I鈥檓 loyal to that team,鈥� Halford said.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a big believer in 鈥榊ou dance with the person you brought,鈥� and that鈥檚 not changing for me.鈥�
The move by Sturko 鈥� a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LBTGQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools 鈥� surprised many, including BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He said on Monday he felt a personal sense of betrayal, given that he 鈥渞eally went out on a limb鈥� to appoint Sturko as his party鈥檚 candidate in the 2022 byelection in Surrey South.
Falcon said he raised money for her and went door knocking on Sturko鈥檚 behalf.
鈥淪he has used very colourful language in our caucus and with myself about her views on the BC Conservatives, and it is not flattering,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow she can go from that, a position she held as recently as within the last two weeks, to suddenly joining them? I think that鈥檚 a real challenge that she鈥檒l have to explain 鈥� and defend that to her constituents.鈥�
鈥楧eath spiral鈥� for BC United
Stewart Prest, who teaches political science at the University of British Columbia, said the defection of Doerkson, then Sturko shows BC United MLAs voting with their feet.
鈥淲e are seeing what looks like a death spiral for the BC United Party,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are having an informal 鈥� merger by attrition.鈥�
He called Sturko鈥檚 defection to the Conservatives a 鈥渟ignificant coup鈥� for the party because Falcon had hand-picked Sturko to run in the Surrey South byelection. Sturko was to be 鈥渆mblematic鈥� of the party that Falcon was trying to create 鈥� strong on issues like public safety, but also inclusive that would welcome members of the LGBTQ2+ community, he added.
Sturko鈥檚 defection now gives the party additional visibility and the inside track to be the main anti-NDP vehicle, Prest said.
鈥淲herever you look, the writing is on the wall鈥� the B.C. Conservatives offer the most recognizable choice to go into the fall election,鈥� he said.
But a lot still needs to be learnt about the provincial Conservatives, Prest added. Sturko herself will also face questions about her decision. While Sturko鈥檚 move 鈥渟uddenly opens鈥� the door for the provincial Conservatives to seem 鈥渕ore like a big tent party,鈥� it also raises choices about what kind of choices she is making.
鈥淪he is blowing in the same direction as the wind,鈥� he said, noting that she explicitly referred to the polls.
While she might not consider the differences between BC United and BC Conservatives on cultural issues to 鈥渂e top of mind,鈥� Prest predicts that questions about those differences will continue.
鈥淲hat will happen when we see these issues come up for debate and some of her now-fellow party members are much less willing to speak about the importance of an inclusive society?鈥�
LGBTQ2+ community responds
Surrey Pride Society president Martin Rooney said he found it hard to understand Sturko鈥檚 decision.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very disappointing,鈥� he said Monday. 鈥淲hen you lose somebody in your community to run on a social conservative platform with all of the equality fights that are still ongoing, I fail to understand.鈥�
Sturko said Monday she had changed her mind about Rustad鈥檚 stance on sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum in schools, that once saw her give Premier David Eby a standing ovation in the legislature when he told Rustad he should be ashamed of himself for focusing on it.
Sturko said she now believes the curriculum known as SOGI 123 has eroded parental trust in public education.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e actually seen is that SOGI has become divisive,鈥� Sturko said in an interview. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 from perception, I think that the name, even calling it SOGI, I鈥檓 not sure that we would be able to win back the support of parents and families.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 those real concerns or whether it鈥檚 a perception, we need to finally end this divisiveness and make sure that we allow people to put this to bed and get kids back to feeling safe in their classrooms.鈥�
Rooney said Sturko, a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LGBTQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools, must have her reasons for the decision.
鈥淪OGI is not on the curriculum. SOGI is a concept 鈥� a concept where all students are treated equally and all student are safe 鈥� there鈥檚 nothing in SOGI that makes people gay. You can鈥檛 make somebody gay,鈥� Rooney said.
鈥淎s somebody who has been fighting for equality for 30 years and who believed Surrey was progressing, it鈥檚 very disappointing for a member of our community to represent a political party that does not believe in equity.鈥�
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called Sturko鈥檚 defection a 鈥渉uge betrayal鈥� of the LGBTQ2+ community, adding that his government will always protect the rights of that community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable, frankly,鈥� he said. 鈥淜nowing everything that the community has gone through, being a member of that community myself, I just find it, quite frankly, beyond belief that somebody would make that kind of leap to run for a party that quite frankly, that has shown itself to be intolerant, to show itself transphobic, to show itself homophobic.鈥�
Sturko defends decision
Sturko said she has been in talks with Falcon since December about 鈥渢he art of the possible鈥� when it comes to working with the Conservative Party of BC.
鈥淚鈥檝e been hearing from constituents that 鈥榊ou have to do something to defeat the NDP,鈥� it鈥檚 a message I鈥檝e consistently heard for months,鈥� she said.
She was hopeful BC United and the Conservatives could work together, but when that was not successful, Sturko said that was the 鈥渓ast turning point鈥� for her.
鈥淎t the end of the day I made a decision to move over to what I believe is the new coalition, and I joined the Conservatives of Bristish Columbia,鈥� she said, noting B.C. has a history of coalitions, pointing to longest-serving premier WAC Bennett.
鈥�(Bennett) did some amazing work for infrastructure and things we benefit from to this day鈥� we know that working together 鈥� in coalitions we have things we may not agree on, but it鈥檚 getting together and focusing on the things that matter most to British Columbians where we do agree,鈥� she said.
鈥淔or example, building a strong robust economy, fixing our collapsed health care system, making sure that we are building housing and lowering the cost of living here so that British Columbians do not feel like there鈥檚 no future for them in B.C.鈥�
As for past social media feuds, Sturko said exchanging barbs and going after each other on social media is 鈥渟ort of the politics of the day,鈥� and that she feels 鈥渃ompletely comfortable鈥� working with Rustad and her new colleagues after several conversations with Rustad.
Sturko said she had not turned against the LGBTQ2+ community at all.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not the case. I will never change or hide who I am and I will continue to advocate for my community. In a coalition, there鈥檚 going to be a diverse range of view but certainly hate is not acceptable,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about focusing on where we have differences. John made it very clear that we do support the rights of all British Columbians and that we want to create a party that is inclusive.鈥�
She noted that every single day, people come to her office about loved ones languishing in hospital hallways, or because they can鈥檛 get cancer treatment, or because they鈥檙e concerned about overcrowding in schools.
鈥淚鈥檓 not just a lesbian,鈥� Sturko said. 鈥淎t the same time I鈥檓 a mother. I am a community member who relies on B.C.鈥檚 health-care system and I have children who will eventually be looking for housing in B.C.鈥�
She said she will continue to represent the LGBTQ2+ community, 鈥渂ut as a mother with students in the school system.鈥�
鈥淏eing a lesbian has very little to do with how I do my work.鈥�
Part of her current Surrey South riding will actually be in the Surrey-Cloverdale riding she will be running in this fall, because of changes to electoral district boundaries, she noted.
鈥� with files from Canadian Press
