Reactions to Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渕ake an unequivocal apology91裸聊视频� for calling homosexuality a 91裸聊视频渓ifestyle91裸聊视频� and having 91裸聊视频渄oubled down in his ignorance.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频� Brandon Fonseca, who was to run for Coquitlam-Maillardville 91裸聊视频� on Tuesday, with Fonseca calling on BC United candidates to 91裸聊视频渄o the right thing and unite behind John Rustad91裸聊视频檚 movement91裸聊视频� in a post on X.
Sturko now brings the number of Conservative members in the legislature to four.
BC United reacts
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 definitely disappointing, but not a surprise,91裸聊视频� said Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, a BC United MLA whose riding neighbours Sturko91裸聊视频檚.
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91裸聊视频淭his is a decision that, at the end of the day, she91裸聊视频檚 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 that91裸聊视频檚 something she91裸聊视频檚 going to be (held) accountable for,91裸聊视频� he said.
The BC Conservatives have not been courting him, he noted.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a hard no. I signed up with the team. I91裸聊视频檓 loyal to that team,91裸聊视频� Halford said.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e always been a big believer in 91裸聊视频榊ou dance with the person you brought,91裸聊视频� and that91裸聊视频檚 not changing for me.91裸聊视频�
The move by Sturko 91裸聊视频� a former RCMP officer who is gay and has been a vocal defender of LBTGQ2+ rights and gender identity education in schools 91裸聊视频� surprised many, including BC United Leader Kevin Falcon.
He said on Monday he felt a personal sense of betrayal, given that he 91裸聊视频渞eally went out on a limb91裸聊视频� to appoint Sturko as his party91裸聊视频檚 candidate in the 2022 byelection in Surrey South.
Falcon said he raised money for her and went door knocking on Sturko91裸聊视频檚 behalf.
91裸聊视频淪he has used very colourful language in our caucus and with myself about her views on the BC Conservatives, and it is not flattering,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淗ow she can go from that, a position she held as recently as within the last two weeks, to suddenly joining them? I think that91裸聊视频檚 a real challenge that she91裸聊视频檒l have to explain 91裸聊视频� and defend that to her constituents.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频楧eath spiral91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淲e are seeing what looks like a death spiral for the BC United Party,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e are having an informal 91裸聊视频� merger by attrition.91裸聊视频�
He called Sturko91裸聊视频檚 defection to the Conservatives a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant coup91裸聊视频� for the party because Falcon had hand-picked Sturko to run in the Surrey South byelection. Sturko was to be 91裸聊视频渆mblematic91裸聊视频� of the party that Falcon was trying to create 91裸聊视频� strong on issues like public safety, but also inclusive that would welcome members of the LGBTQ2+ community, he added.
Sturko91裸聊视频檚 defection now gives the party additional visibility and the inside track to be the main anti-NDP vehicle, Prest said.
91裸聊视频淲herever you look, the writing is on the wall91裸聊视频� the B.C. Conservatives offer the most recognizable choice to go into the fall election,91裸聊视频� 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 Sturko91裸聊视频檚 move 91裸聊视频渟uddenly opens91裸聊视频� the door for the provincial Conservatives to seem 91裸聊视频渕ore like a big tent party,91裸聊视频� it also raises choices about what kind of choices she is making.
91裸聊视频淪he is blowing in the same direction as the wind,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渂e top of mind,91裸聊视频� Prest predicts that questions about those differences will continue.
91裸聊视频淲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?91裸聊视频�
LGBTQ2+ community responds
Surrey Pride Society president Martin Rooney said he found it hard to understand Sturko91裸聊视频檚 decision.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very disappointing,91裸聊视频� he said Monday. 91裸聊视频淲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.91裸聊视频�
Sturko said Monday she had changed her mind about Rustad91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淲hat we91裸聊视频檝e actually seen is that SOGI has become divisive,91裸聊视频� Sturko said in an interview. 91裸聊视频淲hether it91裸聊视频檚 from perception, I think that the name, even calling it SOGI, I91裸聊视频檓 not sure that we would be able to win back the support of parents and families.
91裸聊视频淲hether it91裸聊视频檚 those real concerns or whether it91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淪OGI is not on the curriculum. SOGI is a concept 91裸聊视频� a concept where all students are treated equally and all student are safe 91裸聊视频� there91裸聊视频檚 nothing in SOGI that makes people gay. You can91裸聊视频檛 make somebody gay,91裸聊视频� Rooney said.
91裸聊视频淎s somebody who has been fighting for equality for 30 years and who believed Surrey was progressing, it91裸聊视频檚 very disappointing for a member of our community to represent a political party that does not believe in equity.91裸聊视频�
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth called Sturko91裸聊视频檚 defection a 91裸聊视频渉uge betrayal91裸聊视频� of the LGBTQ2+ community, adding that his government will always protect the rights of that community.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 unbelievable, frankly,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淜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.91裸聊视频�
Sturko defends decision
Sturko said she has been in talks with Falcon since December about 91裸聊视频渢he art of the possible91裸聊视频� when it comes to working with the Conservative Party of BC.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been hearing from constituents that 91裸聊视频榊ou have to do something to defeat the NDP,91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 a message I91裸聊视频檝e consistently heard for months,91裸聊视频� she said.
She was hopeful BC United and the Conservatives could work together, but when that was not successful, Sturko said that was the 91裸聊视频渓ast turning point91裸聊视频� for her.
91裸聊视频淎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,91裸聊视频� she said, noting B.C. has a history of coalitions, pointing to longest-serving premier WAC Bennett.
91裸聊视频�(Bennett) did some amazing work for infrastructure and things we benefit from to this day91裸聊视频� we know that working together 91裸聊视频� in coalitions we have things we may not agree on, but it91裸聊视频檚 getting together and focusing on the things that matter most to British Columbians where we do agree,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淔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 there91裸聊视频檚 no future for them in B.C.91裸聊视频�
As for past social media feuds, Sturko said exchanging barbs and going after each other on social media is 91裸聊视频渟ort of the politics of the day,91裸聊视频� and that she feels 91裸聊视频渃ompletely comfortable91裸聊视频� working with Rustad and her new colleagues after several conversations with Rustad.
Sturko said she had not turned against the LGBTQ2+ community at all.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 not the case. I will never change or hide who I am and I will continue to advocate for my community. In a coalition, there91裸聊视频檚 going to be a diverse range of view but certainly hate is not acceptable,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�
She noted that every single day, people come to her office about loved ones languishing in hospital hallways, or because they can91裸聊视频檛 get cancer treatment, or because they91裸聊视频檙e concerned about overcrowding in schools.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not just a lesbian,91裸聊视频� Sturko said. 91裸聊视频淎t the same time I91裸聊视频檓 a mother. I am a community member who relies on B.C.91裸聊视频檚 health-care system and I have children who will eventually be looking for housing in B.C.91裸聊视频�
She said she will continue to represent the LGBTQ2+ community, 91裸聊视频渂ut as a mother with students in the school system.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淏eing a lesbian has very little to do with how I do my work.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频� with files from Canadian Press
