B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad acknowledged the party is having “family” issues after five caucus members voted against an NDP motion condemning U.S. tariffs.
Among those dissenting was Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy, who when speaking for the first time in the legislature yesterday, questioned whether the response to U.S. tariffs proposal was a ‘a war on tariffs and the economy’ or ‘a war of political polarization.’
“Proper diplomacy has to be the answer to this scenario to stop these divisive tactics by the NDP. I’m voting for this motion, but I do not support most of it,” said Kealy.
The motion tabled asked MLAs to support a “Team Canada” plan that labeled the tariffs as wrong and unjustified. It proposed responding to future threats with “proportionate retaliatory action” by strategically targeting products and industries in Republican states. The goal to deter President Trump from implementing further tariffs.
Kealy criticized the motion as divisive and polarizing, arguing that it would create a bigger divide with the U.S. and divert attention from major issues currently facing the province. He called on the NDP to scrap the upcoming increase to the carbon tax and to increase refining capacity to reduce reliance on U.S. oil and gas resources.
“It was a loaded motion that was brought forward by the NDP to try and divide peoples perspectives,” Kealy told reporters.
In a Facebook post, he doubled down and further criticized “leadership” for not taking Trump’s concerns on border security, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, or NATO commitments seriously.
“We need strong leadership that know how diplomacy is important especially against a negotiator like Trump,” said Kealy.
The motion passed supported by both the NDP government and the bulk in the Opposition ranks, including Rustad, with a vote of 86 to five -- only members of the BC Conservatives voting against it.
Rustad said that his party ran on allowing MLAs more freedom and acknowledged the “growing pains.”
“At the end of the day, we said we would have free votes. We said we would be supporting people to be able to have free speech and that’s what this looks like,” Rustad told reporters on Tuesday.
Rustad says he’s not worried about a threat to his leadership ahead of the Opposition’s annual general meeting. In fact, pointed to a lack of party unity displayed in the legislature on Monday as a defining characteristic.
*With files from the Canadian Press