Latest news with #B.C.ConservativeOpposition
Vancouver Sun
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
After B.C. Conservative leader made claim of MLA blackmailers in his own party, NDP asked RCMP to investigate
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. 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. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 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. 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. 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. 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. Kealy, who is not a member of the new One BC party, said Thursday that he was 'completely fine' with the RCMP being called to investigate. 'I've got nothing to hide if they want to talk to me,' said Kealy. 'I have chosen to leave it to people that are in the position to properly investigate this thoroughly and to look into whether or not they're allegations being made falsely,' said Kealy. Armstrong said on social media on Wednesday that 'Rustad and Eby can throw around the accusations all they like but rest assured, the truth will always prevail.' Brodie has said Rustad and his team 'rigged' the Conservatives' March annual general meeting that endorsed his 'Team Rustad' slate of executive candidates, allegedly stacking the meeting with South Asian supporters paid 'to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted.' Rustad's letter denied any wrongdoing at the meeting. — With additional reporting from Wolfgang Depner in Victoria Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
National Observer
20 hours ago
- Politics
- National Observer
BC NDP want RCMP investigation of alleged Conservative blackmailers
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 caucus warning about the alleged blackmail by three MLAs and their staff. 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. 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. 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. Premier David Eby said earlier this week, after learning of the blackmail allegations, that Rustad needed to take the claims to the 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. 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. Kealy, who is not a member of the new One BC party, said Thursday that he was "completely fine" with the RCMP being called to investigate. 'I've got nothing to hide if they want to talk to me,' said Kealy. "I have chosen to leave it to people that are in the position to properly investigate this thoroughly and to look into whether or not they're allegations being made falsely," said Kealy. Armstrong said on social media on Wednesday that "Rustad and Eby can throw around the accusations all they like but rest assured, the truth will always prevail." Brodie has said Rustad and his team "rigged" the Conservatives' March annual general meeting that endorsed his "Team Rustad" slate of executive candidates, allegedly stacking the meeting with South Asian supporters paid "to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted." Rustad's letter denied any wrongdoing at the meeting.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is 'informed decision'
VICTORIA — A business leader on ferry-dependent Vancouver Island says BC Ferries made a "strongly informed decision" in hiring a Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels. Both the NDP government and B.C. Conservative Opposition have criticized the choice of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build the new ferries. Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said the Chinese contract in the best interests of all who rely on BC Ferries, adding that BC Ferries needs more capacity to meet growing demand. "So, this is very timely, and it's a good thing to have this happen," Williams said. The decision is also making waves in Ottawa, where Conservative MP Jeff Kibble, whose riding neighbours Victoria, asked Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland whether Ottawa would make a $33-million federal grant to BC Ferries conditional on buying Canadian-built ships. Freeland said she "absolutely" shared concerns about procurement at all levels, but noted that the ferry agreement was not a federal contract. Williams said few companies around the world have the capacity to build vessels of such size, and BC Ferries did "due diligence" for years in a global procurement process that did not receive any Canadian bids. "So, at this point, I think it's in the best interest of all the people, who rely on BC Ferries … especially up and down the coast in communities that are very reliant upon it," he said. Williams said he would like to see a fifth vessel added to the contract to meet growing demand. The independent BC Ferry Commission rejected a request by BC Ferries earlier this year to add a fifth major vessel to the contract, saying it is "neither essential nor affordable." "It's too bad the fifth one hasn't been approved by the Ferry Commissioner, but it's great to see this, because the fleet is aging," Williams said. Dan McGreer, an adjunct professor in UBC's Faculty of Applied Science, previously worked for a firm that did some of the early concept development for the new ferries, but he wasn't involved in the contract. McGreer couldn't say why BC Ferries chose that shipyard. "But I suspect that the advantage the Chinese shipyard had is a lower cost," he said, noting Chinese wages in the shipbuilding industry are "significantly lower" than in Canada. "I know that BC Ferries did evaluate their capability … and I believe they were comfortable that the shipyard could build the ships," McGreer said. McGreer said their quality from Chinese shipyards "is reasonably good," but construction needs to be "carefully" monitored. "I think some of the European (shipyards) do have a longer experience and a higher reputation for quality, but I think the Chinese yards do deliver a product with reasonable quality." Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan said in a statement after the request for proposals was issued last year that shipyards and their suppliers in Canada can't compete with countries that have low wages and lower safety and environmental standards. The B.C. Conservatives have called on Premier David Eby's government to cancel the contract that was announced on Tuesday, while accusing the premier of abandoning Canadian workers. Opposition transport critic Harman Bhangu said in a statement that the "deal is fully within the government's control" because BC Ferries board chair Joy MacPhail is a former NDP cabinet minister. 'Premier Eby put on a big show of not stopping in China on his trade mission to Asia,' Bhangu said. 'Then the NDP sends billions of dollars to a state-owned shipyard in China.' Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said Tuesday that he raised concern with BC Ferries about the contract, but notes that the operator is an independent company that makes its own operational decisions. The provincial government is the sole preferred shareholder in BC Ferries and it receives public funding, and Williams said the purchase decision was not a government decision. When asked about Farnworth's comments, Williams said his organization is "politically agnostic" in reserving comment. "But I think that the most important thing to remember is that BC Ferries will have a team on site … in China, overseeing the project," he said. The four new major vessels will offer 52 per cent more space for passengers and 24 per cent more space for vehicle compared to the vessels they are replacing. The ferries will also feature diesel-battery hybrid propulsion systems that could fully run on electricity in the future, propellers that minimize underwater noise that impacts at-risk whales. The first of the four new vessels is scheduled to enter service in the spring of 2029. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is ‘informed decision'
VICTORIA - A business leader on ferry-dependent Vancouver Island says BC Ferries made a 'strongly informed decision' in hiring a Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels. Both the NDP government and B.C. Conservative Opposition have criticized the choice of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards. But Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, says it's in the best interests of all who rely on BC Ferries. He says few companies around the world have the capacity to build vessels of such size, and BC Ferries did 'due diligence' for years in a global procurement process that did not receive any Canadian bids. The B.C. Conservatives have called on Premier David Eby's government to cancel the contract that was announced on Tuesday, while accusing Eby of abandoning Canadian workers. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth says he raised concern with BC Ferries about the contract, but notes that the operator is an independent company that makes its own operational decisions. The provincial government is the sole preferred shareholder in BC Ferries and it receives public funding, but Williams says the purchase decision is not a government decision. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is ‘informed decision'
VICTORIA - A business leader on ferry-dependent Vancouver Island says BC Ferries made a 'strongly informed decision' in hiring a Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels. Both the NDP government and B.C. Conservative Opposition have criticized the choice of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.
