After B.C. Conservative leader made claim of MLA blackmailers in his own party, NDP asked RCMP to investigate
Article content
The chair of British Columbia's NDP caucus has written to the RCMP requesting an investigation into allegations that former members of the B.C. Conservative Opposition tried to blackmail their ex-colleagues.
The letter from Stephanie Higginson to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald comes after B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad wrote to his party's own caucus warning about the alleged blackmail by three MLAs and their staff.
Article content
On Monday, Rustad confirmed that he wrote a letter obtained by The Canadian Press in which he tells his caucus that their former colleagues and staff were threatening to release 'blackmail materials,' including secretly recorded phone conversations and text messages.
One of the former party members said Thursday that he welcomed a police investigation, saying Rustad made the blackmail allegations to 'distract and change the conversation' about how his leadership was reconfirmed at the annual general meeting of the party.
Independent Jordan Kealy said he had already asked for an audit of the leadership review.
'Maybe the Conservative Party, if they've got nothing to hide, will then open their books and actually show to their constituents, voters and members, that they're telling the truth,' Kealy said in an interview.
Another of the former Conservatives, Dallas Brodie, said on social media platform X that Rustad had 'painted himself into a corner' with a 'big lie' about blackmail that he could not substantiate.
Article content
Article content
Higginson said in the open letter written on behalf of the NDP caucus that there's a significant public interest in determining the facts.
She said if any MLA or their staff are engaged in blackmail, British Columbians deserve to know, and perpetrators should be prosecuted.
Rustad said in an interview on Monday that he did not personally have recorded evidence of blackmail, but would not say if the party possessed it.
'As I said earlier, I am not sure what has been provided to our legal staff around it. I don't personally have it,' he said.
Asked if Rustad was available for an interview on Thursday, the B.C. Conservative Party said it had received advice not to comment further on the matter.
Higginson said British Columbians deserved to know whether Rustad has any evidence to support his accusations.
'Given the accusations of criminal activity, it seems appropriate for police to examine any relevant information in Mr. Rustad's possession to determine if additional investigation and/or criminal charges are necessary,' Higginson wrote.
Article content
Premier David Eby said earlier this week after learning of the blackmail allegations that Rustad needed to take the claims to police, and if he didn't, then the NDP would.
'It is a profound and serious allegation that also strikes at the core of this place behind me and the public's confidence in the fact that legislators and staff members need to be able to do their work for the people without interference,' Eby said during a news conference outside the legislature on Tuesday.
Tim Thielmann is the chief of staff for the new One BC party formed by Brodie and Tara Armstrong, who is the third ex-Conservative MLA.
He blamed Eby for the NDP calling in the police, saying it was 'extremely irresponsible.'
'By his own admission, he is relying upon John Rustad's claims of blackmail, and when John Rustad has been asked for evidence, he has been unable to provide a single shred,' said Thielmann.
Article content
He called the accusations in Rustad's letter to the Conservative caucus 'desperate lies' that he 'invented' to attack people exposing what happened at the party's annual general meeting.
He said the case could 'cross the threshold for public mischief.'
Brodie made the same argument in her social media post.
'If Rustad asks for a police investigation knowing his allegations are false, he might himself be committing the crime of public mischief under section 140 of the Criminal Code,' she said.
'But if he doesn't, he will have exposed his own big lie.
'And as for David Eby, he should know better than to attempt to instigate a police investigation when he admits to having absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing.'
Brodie was thrown out of the B.C. Conservatives over remarks about residential schools, prompting Armstrong and Kealy to quit the party in sympathy.
Latest National Stories
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
40 minutes ago
- Global News
What secrets did Calgary serial killer Gary Srery take to the grave?
Over the course of a year in the late 1970s, Calgarians woke up to horrifying headlines splashed across newspaper front pages. In just over 12 months, four young women's lives were extinguished under mysterious circumstances. Friends Eva Dvorak and Patsy McQueen, both 14, were found dead on the side of the Trans-Canada highway west of Calgary on Feb. 15, 1976. The body of Melissa Rehorek, 20, was found in a ditch on a quiet gravel road 22 km west of the city seven months later. And in February of 1977, the body of Barbara MacLean, 19, was discovered by a dog walker just outside the city's northeast quadrant. For years, despite evidence, interviews and autopsies, the explanations into all four deaths were scant. The cause of death for McQueen and Dvorak, who had been sent home the day they died after being caught drinking at their junior high school, was listed as undetermined. Autopsies revealed the pair had drugs and alcohol in their systems when they died, but their deaths were never ruled as murder. Story continues below advertisement Rehorek and MacLean's deaths showed similarities, leading investigators to believe they might have been victims of a single killer, but a suspect was never identified. For decades, the families and friend of each young woman waited for more information, for the cold cases to run hot. As the years ticked by, hope diminished. View image in full screen The photos of Eva Dvorak, 14, Patricia McQueen, 14, Melissa Rehorek, 20, and Barbara MacLean, 19, are displayed at a police press conference. Shane Struck / Global News Almost half a century later, in 2024, the RCMP released a bombshell press release. 'American believed to be serial killer behind deaths of 4 young Calgarians,' read Global News' headline on May 17, 2024, as police announced a break in not one, but all four cases. At a news conference in Edmonton, police announced that all four young women were victims of a serial killer by the name of Gary Srery — an American citizen living in Canada illegally at the time of the homicides. Story continues below advertisement Police said ahead of each of the four victims' deaths, they had been walking in the evening. All four died of asphyxiation and their bodies were left outside of Calgary's city limits. In each case, seminal fluid was found on the victims but police noted that at the time of their deaths there was no way to test for a DNA profile of a suspect. View image in full screen The underpass where the bodies of Patsy McQueen and Eva Dvorak were discovered. File photo / Global News Now, Global's true crime offering, Crime Beat, is looking back on the case, with exclusive interviews from the detectives who helped link the crimes, never-before-heard details from one of the victim's sisters and a jaw-dropping interview with the serial killer's own son, who provides insight into how his father became a serial killer — and the reasons he believes his dad is responsible for the death of another young Alberta woman. On May 17, 2024, the RCMP said Gary Srery was responsible for the deaths of four young Calgarians. Supplied by RCMP Keep reading to learn more about Srery, how advances in forensic technology helped link the Calgary murders and why investigators think he may be connected to additional murders and sexual assaults. Story continues below advertisement Who is Gary Srery? Gary Allen Srery was born in Illinois in 1942, the first of three siblings, and moved with his family to California in the mid-1950s. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy While little is known about his formative years, by the 1960s he began to rack up an extensive rap sheet, particularly for violent and sexual offences, starting with a forcible rape conviction in 1965. He faced additional charges of kidnapping, sexual perversion and burglary around that time, leading to the State of California to classify him as a 'mentally disordered sex offender,' and he was committed to a mental health facility. In and out of incarceration, the next few years saw Srery rack up additional charges, including rape, drug possession, kidnapping and sodomy. Gary Srery is shown in an undated photo. Handout / RCMP In 1974, Srery attacked a female hitchhiker in the San Fernando Valley in California, and, attempting to escape the Los Angeles rape charge, he crossed into Canada illegally. Story continues below advertisement He was a bit of a chameleon, ever-changing his appearance, his vehicles and his aliases. Once in Canada he became an under-the-table drifter, working as a salesman or in kitchens in Southern Alberta and B.C., and staying off the radar of police. He often used the names 'Willy Blackman' and 'Rex Long.' View image in full screen Gary Srery often changed his looks, vehicles and aliases. Handout / Alberta RCMP Srery's deception worked. It wasn't until his 1998 arrest in New Westminster, B.C., for a violent sexual assault, that his crimes north of the border caught up with him. Following a five-year sentence in Canadian prison, he was deported back to the U.S. in 2003. A trickle of tips and leads With Srery back in the U.S., investigators continued to pick away at the cold cases. In 2003, taking advantage of advancements in forensic technology, evidence from Rehorek and MacLean's crime scenes were sent in for DNA testing and confirmed what police suspected all along — seminal DNA found on their clothing matched a single, unknown offender. Story continues below advertisement It was almost another 20 years, in the fall of 2022, when Dvorak's sister, Anita Vukovich-Kohut, learned that the case of the two junior high students had been reopened after she called police to check in on the case. 'I don't know what the trigger was that got [police] to start looking into it,' she told Crime Beat, 'but when I asked about it they had already begun the process.' View image in full screen Anita Vukovich-Kohut was surprised to learn her sister's case had been reopened. Crime Beat / Global News RCMP told Crime Beat that two months before receiving Vukovich-Kohut's call, they had received a tip that spurred further investigation: an inmate had found McQueen's name in the notes of another inmate. While the tip turned out to be a dead end, the investigator handling the case realized there were exhibits in the McQueen and Dvorak case that hadn't been tested using new DNA technology. Story continues below advertisement While waiting for the results of the testing to come back, and inspired by the capture of the Golden State Killer using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), police, in partnership with the RCMP, reopened the cases of Rehorek and MacLean. When they uploaded the DNA samples from the cases into the genetic genealogy databank, it spit back a family tree of more than 6,400 people related to the unknown offender, dating back to the early 1700s. Within months, they narrowed down their search to a small group of brothers. One of the siblings, Gary Srery, had already made headlines about being a serial rapist, giving investigators their No. 1 suspect. Meanwhile, police were able to link Srery to the Calgary area during the time of the four murders, and reviewed the cases of eight other women who survived attacks by Srery, painting a picture of how the suspected serial killer moved and operated. When the DNA results came back, police were finally able to confirm that Srery had violently raped and murdered all four young women. View image in full screen Left to right: Calgary serial killer victims Melissa Rehorek, 20, Patricia 'Patsy' McQueen, 14, Eva Dvorak, 14, and Barbara MacLean, 19. Alberta RCMP Are there other Canadian victims? While the families of each Calgary victim say they were relieved to finally have some closure, Srery was long dead, having died from natural causes in an Idaho prison in 2011 while serving a life sentence for another violent rape. Story continues below advertisement Investigators say he's likely responsible for other unsolved murders, but his death means there's a good chance Srery took secrets of other committed crimes to the grave. Even his son, Richard, believes there are other crimes at the hands of his dad that are waiting to be uncovered. View image in full screen Gary Srery's son, Richard, told Crime Beat in an exclusive interview that he believes his dad is responsible for more crimes. Crime Beat 'He is one of the most charismatic, convincing, intellectual people I have ever actually ever encountered,' he told Crime Beat in an exclusive interview, explaining he believes his dad used his smarts and social skills to prey on his victims. 'I can't help thinking, even to this day, how many do we not know about?' 0:33 Gary Srery's son speaks out about his father's crimes The case of Kelly Cook One of the unsolved cases he believes is connected to his dad, said Richard, is the mysterious 1981 kidnapping and murder of a 15-year-old girl in rural Alberta. Story continues below advertisement Revealing a letter written to him by his father from prison, Richard said the note mentioned several aliases Srery had used in the past, including the name 'Bill Christensen.' Bill Christensen was also the name used by a man in Standard, Alta., 70 km north of Calgary, who called up an unsuspecting teenager by the name of Kelly Cook, luring her to her death under the guise of a babysitting job. View image in full screen Kelly Cook disappeared from her home in Alberta in 1981, in one of the highest profile cases in the province's history. File / Global News Two months later, Cook's body was found in the Chin Lake Reservoir, east of Lethbridge, tied up with ropes and anchored by concrete blocks. Years later, anticipating a visit from RCMP to his home in the U.S. to talk about cases linked to his father, Richard said he had stumbled across Cook's case in another Crime Beat episode: The Case of Kelly Cook: The Backup Babysitter. Story continues below advertisement 'I was convinced from watching it, this is him, this is the (case) they're going to talk to me about,' he said. 'He lived there, the aliases…everything about it just adds up.' Surprised when Cook's case didn't come up in their conversation, Richard said he brought it up with the investigators, who quickly shot him down, saying they didn't have a connection between the case and his dad. The RCMP claims there's no mention of the alias Bill Christensen in Srery's file, nor evidence that connects him to Cook's death. — Crime Beat airs its penultimate episode of the season at 10 p.m. ET on Global, examining a series of serial killings in Calgary in the 1970s and how the man responsible, Gary Srery, might have had more victims. Check your local listings for airtimes. Episodes appear streaming and on the StackTV app the following day. Story continues below advertisement — Global News and Global TV are both properties of Corus Entertainment.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
MPs to vote on Carney's major projects bill before breaking for summer
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Prime Minister Mark Carney's major projects and internal trade bill will be voted on today before the House of Commons rises until September. A closure motion the government passed to limit debate says the House won't adjourn today until debate wraps up on Bill C-5 and it clears the chamber. The Liberal government's controversial legislation, which would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Indigenous and environmental groups and some opposition MPs and senators have criticized the government for rushing a bill through Parliament that gives cabinet such sweeping powers. 1:54 More pushback for Bill C-5 from Indigenous groups The legislation was amended Thursday to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act after weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders. Story continues below advertisement As Canada continues to grapple with U.S. tariffs, Carney on Thursday called C-5 called the 'core' of Canada's domestic economic response. A Senate programming motion has the upper chamber wrapping up its examination of Bill C-5 by June 27. — With files from Kyle Duggan and Alessia Passafiume
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Search to continue for hikers after Banff rockfall
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Search to continue for hikers after Banff rockfall Rescuers in Alberta are set to resume their search today for anyone else caught up in a massive rockfall that killed one and injured three in a remote section of Banff National Park. Video posted online reportedly shows a large shelf of stone crashing down a mountainside at Bow Glacier Falls, about 200 kilometres northwest of Calgary. The slide kicked up a towering cloud of grey dust that had other hikers rushing to safety. Officials have said one person was found dead at the scene, two people were airlifted to hospital in Calgary and a third was taken by ground ambulance. Officials say those who haven't been able to account for loved ones are to contact Parks Canada. Here's what else we're watching… More evacuations to lift in northwestern Manitoba Thousands more wildfire evacuees in Manitoba will start making the trek home in the coming days as officials in two northwestern communities lift their evacuation orders. The roughly 600 residents of the town of Lynn Lake will be allowed to return to the community 775 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg starting at 8 a.m. Friday. In a social media post, the town said buses would be arranged for those who need help with transportation. Further south, residents of the city of Flin Flon could start coming home by the middle of next week as officials prepare to lift their mandatory evacuation order. Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas-Funk, in a social media post Thursday, said the order is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. on June 25, about one month after the city's 5,100 residents were forced out by a massive wildfire that began days earlier in nearby Creighton, Sask. She said most critical services and businesses, including power and gas, would be ready to go by Sunday. Barring further fire activity, she said council would meet Monday to officially rescind the order. MPs voting on major projects bill today Prime Minister Mark Carney's major projects and internal trade bill will be voted on today before the House of Commons rises until September. A closure motion the government passed to limit debate says the House won't adjourn today until debate wraps up on Bill C-5 and it clears the chamber. The Liberal government's controversial legislation, which would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. Indigenous and environmental groups and some opposition MPs and senators have criticized the government for rushing a bill through Parliament that gives cabinet such sweeping powers. The legislation was amended Thursday to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act after weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders. Mike Pemberton to be next Yukon premier Mike Pemberton has been named the new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will be the territory's 11th premier. A local businessman and longtime party insider, Pemberton won the leadership race by 13 votes over former Kwanlin Dun First Nations Chief Doris Bill. He will replace outgoing Premier Ranj Pillai who announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election and would step down after his successor was chosen. The party says 873 ballots were cast at the leadership convention in Whitehorse, with Pemberton getting 442 votes, 429 people voting for Bill, and two ballots being spoiled. The next territorial election must be held on or before Nov. 3. The Liberals hold a minority government in Yukon with eight of the 19 available seats in the legislature. Anand pledges 'action', reform in foreign affairs Faced with escalating conflict in the Middle East, a collapsing global trade system and a department struggling to reform itself, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she relishes the job of helping Canada navigate a turbulent world. In a wide-ranging interview Thursday with The Canadian Press, Anand said her experiences in both politics and academia can help her streamline Canada's approach to global issues, allowing it to pursue its interests without losing sight of its values. 'How do you ensure, when you have these large departments, that you're actually able to execute? That is the heart of government. It's the hardest thing to do,' Anand said. 'I enjoy difficult responsibilities.' She cited her time as defence minister, when she pushed the Canadian Armed Forces to address sexual misconduct and organized donations of military supplies to Ukraine's front line. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
