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CBC
12 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
NDP asks RCMP to investigate B.C. Conservative blackmail claims
Social Sharing The B.C. NDP is asking the RCMP to investigate allegations made by B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad that three MLAs who left the party have tried to blackmail their former colleagues. The allegations were revealed in an undated letter written by Rustad, leaked to media on Monday. "In the letter John Rustad says the word blackmail 14 times and alleges criminal activity," said NDP caucus chair Stephanie Higginson. That's why she sent a letter to the B.C. RCMP's top commander calling for an investigation. WATCH | John Rustad alleges blackmail: B.C. Conservative leader's letter alleges blackmail by ex-members 2 days ago Duration 10:04 In a letter leaked to media on Monday, B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad alleges that a group of legislators who left his party are threatening to release texts and messages to intimidate members of his caucus. It comes after two Conservative defectors formed the OneBC party. Tim Thielmann, the chief of staff for the OneBC leader, called the allegations a desperate attempt by Rustad to cling to power. Rustad alleged in his letter that the three MLAs and their staff threatened to release text messages and secret recordings, using that to blackmail some B.C. Conservative caucus staff into quitting and working for them. "They are attempting to blackmail individuals into taking jobs or contracts with them while simultaneously attempting to force them to do or say certain things in order to prevent blackmail materials from being leaked," Rustad wrote in the letter. In the letter, Rustad described the behaviour as "unethical, abusive, and potentially criminal." Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie was kicked out of the Conservative caucus in March for her statements about residential schools. Tara Armstrong of Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream and Jordan Kealy of Peace River North left the party shortly after in solidarity. All three have denied that they engaged in blackmail, pointing out that Rustad has not produced any evidence to support his claims. Higginson sent a letter to B.C. RCMP Commanding Officer Dwayne McDonald on Thursday asking the police force to investigate. "There is a significant public interest in determining the facts of this matter," the letter reads. "Blackmail is a serious crime. If any MLA or their legislative staff are engaged in it, British Columbians deserve to know, and any perpetrators should be prosecuted. British Columbians also deserve to know if Mr. Rustad, the Leader of the Official Opposition, is not in possession of evidence to support his accusations." RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Vanessa Munn said in a statement that the agency had received the letter. "The matter is under review and assessment," she said. Higginson's letter follows comments from Premier David Eby on Tuesday about the allegations. "Mr. Rustad needs to explain to the public what's happening," Eby said. "He needs to bring the information he has to the police. These are very serious allegations. And if he fails to bring them to the police, for whatever reason, then we will bring them to the police to make sure this is properly and thoroughly investigated." Since leaving the B.C. Conservative caucus in March, Brodie, Armstrong and Kealy have sat as Independents. Last week, Brodie and Armstrong announced their new political party, called One B.C. Kealy did not join the party. WATCH | 2 MLAs launch OneBC: 2 Independent MLAs launch new political party 7 days ago Duration 2:13 One MLA who was kicked out of the B.C. Conservative caucus and another who left in solidarity are forming a new political party. Katie DeRosa has more on what the party stands for and what it means for the official opposition. Brodie's chief of staff, Tim Thielmann, called the NDP's letter to the RCMP a "perversion of our justice system." "By David Eby's own admission, that he doesn't have any evidence upon which to initiate this police investigation," Thielmann said. "When John Rustad has been asked to produce evidence of his allegation, he has been unable to do so." Kealy said in a statement the allegations are false. "This is what a desperate man looks like. John Rustad is losing control, so he lashes out. He lies. He manipulates. He throws wild accusations into the wind hoping they'll stick. "Let the RCMP look into it. I have absolutely nothing to hide." Hamish Telford, a political scientist from the University of the Fraser Valley, said the NDP is trying to capitalize on dissension within the Conservative ranks. "I think the NDP is stirring the pot," Telford said. Higginson denies that her letter to the RCMP was politically motivated. "The easiest thing for me as the caucus chair, and perhaps even for the NDP, to do right now is to sit back and watch this internal mudslinging that's happening," she said. "But these are very serious allegations."
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. Independent MLAs start new party to ‘combat the globalist assault'
The B.C. legislature is pictured as people walk in downtown Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Two former members of the B.C. Conservatives who have been sitting as Independents for months say they are launching a new provincial political party. Dallas Brodie, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, says in a post on social media that she is the interim leader of the party called One BC, along with House leader Tara Armstrong, who represents Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream. In a post on Instagram, Brodie says she built the new party to 'combat the globalist assault on our history, culture and families' and promises a 10-year vision for a 'prosperous tax-free B.C.' Brodie says the party will 'defund the reconciliation industry,' 'eradicate gender ideology,' 'end mass immigration,' and 'unapologetically advance pro-family policies.' She says the party will end 'the government monopoly on health care' and bring in new funding models for infrastructure. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad kicked Brodie out of his caucus earlier this year over her comments about residential schools, and Armstrong and Jordan Kealy followed days later, although Kealy is not part of the new party. A statement from the B.C.'s Speaker's office on Thursday afternoon says it has not been advised of any MLAs changing party affiliation but that if two or more members become affiliated with a registered political party, they would form a recognized caucus in the legislature. One BC has been registered as a party with Elections BC, with Brodie listed as interim leader and former B.C. Conservative candidate Tim Thielman listed as the contact. This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published June 12, 2025.
Toronto Sun
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
JAY GOLDBERG: Carney turns to Eby to help kill new pipeline projects
Premier David Eby meets Prime Minister Mike Carney at the BC Legislature, on April 7, 2025. Prime Minister Mark Carney has a plan to sabotage the construction of new oil and gas pipelines in Canada by handing a veto to Canada's most anti-energy premier. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account During this spring's election campaign, Carney tried his best to sound like a moderate. He talked about the need for Canada to become an energy superpower and insisted big projects need to be approved faster. But if anyone was hoping that Carney would be different from his predecessor on pipelines, the prime minister put that to rest last week. Carney is insisting on giving every impacted province a veto over any new oil and gas pipelines. 'We will not impose a project on a province,' said Carney in Ottawa. 'We need consensus.' Because the majority of the most feasible pipeline projects to get Alberta oil and natural gas to market run through British Columbia, Carney essentially handed B.C. Premier David Eby a veto over new pipelines. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And handing Eby a veto over oil and gas projects is like handing a prohibitionist a veto over new pubs. Eby's government is ideologically opposed to the construction of new pipelines through B.C. to get Alberta energy to market. And the NDP party in B.C. has been the lead cheerleader for anti-development initiatives like tanker bans and production caps. One of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's top priorities is to see a new pipeline built to ship Alberta oil to the Port of Prince Rupert on B.C.'s northern coast. Eby has already poured cold water on the potential project, claiming no one is even interested in building such a pipeline. Smith shot back, insisting no one is currently at the table looking to build that pipeline because, 'until we address the …terrible policies that have damaged investor confidence, we're not going to get the proponents coming forward with major investments.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Two of those 'terrible' policies Smith is pointing to are the tanker ban and the production cap, which the B.C. NDP supports. Carney has known this all along. He knows Eby will do everything he can to block new pipeline projects from going through B.C. to bring Alberta energy to market. He also knows the federal government has the power to approve national projects that run through multiple provinces, even if one provincial government objects, which perfectly reflects this scenario. But Carney is choosing not to use the federal government's powers, instead content to see pipeline projects die at the hands of the B.C. NDP government. No one should be surprised by this. Before Carney's foray into national politics, he was a leading advocate of net-zero policies that would see 80% of Canada's oil and gas remain in the ground. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sadly, at a time when our economy desperately needs a boost and to diversify away from the United States, Carney's anti-oil and gas instincts will make the Canadian economy suffer. Carney is just continuing what former prime minister Justin Trudeau started. But this dangerous Liberal agenda seeking to sabotage Canada's oil and gas sector has and will continue to wreak havoc on Canada's economy. Under Trudeau's watch, the federal government either blocked or delayed long enough to cancel 31 projects worth $670 billion. Some of the most prominent blocked or cancelled projects, like Northern Gateway and Pacific Northwest LNG, would have run through B.C. At a time when Canada's economic growth is lagging, unemployment is surging and some degree of U.S. tariffs appears here to stay, Canada simply cannot afford the Carney and Eby anti-energy agenda. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada needs to get its oil and gas to Asian markets. That means new pipelines running through B.C. These projects would be in the national interest and, because they would run through multiple provinces, the federal government has the constitutional power to approve such projects even with B.C.'s opposition. It's time to get Canada's economy moving. And that means saying yes to pipelines going through B.C., with or without the support of the Eby government. Carney should stop hiding behind Eby and do what's in the national interest. Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center World Toronto Blue Jays World Toronto & GTA Celebrity
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Vancouver short on hotel rooms, silent on safety costs for 2026 World Cup
Police officers patrol outside B.C. Place Stadium before the opening night of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert, in Vancouver, on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck One year out from the FIFA World Cup, questions remain about where soccer fans visiting Vancouver will stay and how much it will cost to keep the city safe. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim spoke to reporters at an event marking the one-year countdown to the tournament on Wednesday, saying the city began working on security plans even before it was confirmed to host seven 2026 World Cup games. He says those plans were 'augmented' after 11 people were killed when a man drove a car into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu festival in April. The security costs have not been publicly released, but Sim says the city will 'make the necessary investments to make sure that people are safe in the city of Vancouver' during the event. Spencer Chandra Herbert, B.C.'s minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, says the province will release a 'full costing' later this month, updating how much it expects to spend on the World Cup. Back in April 2024, B.C. organizers estimated the cost at between $483 million and $581 million for city and provincial services, as well as upgrades to B.C. Place Stadium. About 350,000 people are expected to visit Vancouver during the World Cup, Chandra Herbert said at Wednesday's event. Questions have been raised about where they'll stay, as a city report released in April noted there are just 13,000 rooms spread across 78 hotels within the municipality. The report found that Vancouver lost about 550 hotel rooms between 2020 and 2022, in part because some older hotels were converted to housing for vulnerable people. Tourists may need to get creative during the tournament, Chandra Herbert suggested. 'We're working with our hotel partners across the province,' he said. 'We think there's opportunity for people to stay further afield. We know Hullo and BC Ferries, we're looking at them as an opportunity for overflow, even all the way to Nanaimo. Of course, out in the (Fraser) Valley.' Chandra Herbert said some Vancouver residents may also look to rent out their homes during the World Cup. Both the province and the City of Vancouver have regulations for short-term rentals, including rules on what types of homes can be used. In Vancouver, all operators must also have a business licence. 'It's a good problem to have,' Chandra Herbert said. 'A whole bunch of people want to come and be with us in B.C., and we can't wait to welcome them.' The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, with opening games in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Toronto and Vancouver are the two Canadian cities hosting matches, as part of the 16 host cities across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Vancouver will stage five opening-round games starting June 13, plus a round-of-32 and a round-of-16 match. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published June 11, 2025.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
B.C. government to provide update on Broadway Subway project
A Millennium Line train is seen at VCC-Clark station in this undated photo from TransLink. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is set to provide an update Monday on the long-awaited Broadway Subway project. The province will be giving a tour of the guideway and tunnel of the SkyTrain expansion. The project is both behind schedule and over budget. The Broadway Subway will extend the SkyTrain Millennium Line from its current terminus at VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus Street, reducing travel times along that stretch of the Broadway corridor to just 11 minutes. The new line will not directly travel to UBC, and riders heading to the university will need to transfer to the 99 B-Line bus. In December, the province announced the project's budget had increased by $127 million to $2.95 billion. The subway line was initially planned to open in 2025, but the B.C. Government announced last year that it wouldn't be completed until 2027.
