A recent poll indicates that nearly half of British Columbians who voted for the B.C. Conservative Party last year want party leader John Rustad to resign. The Angus Reid Institute conducted the poll, which was released on Sunday. It found that 48% of Conservative voters from the October 2024 provincial elections believe Rustad should step down. This marks a significant decline in support for Rustad, whose favorable rating among Conservative voters has dropped from approximately 80% during the election campaign to just 52% now.

The poll also revealed that 59% of the general public shares this sentiment, wanting Rustad to leave his position. This discontent aligns with a letter sent to Rustad by seven members of the party’s executive management committee on October 21. The letter described the party as being in a "state of chaos" and urged Rustad to resign. It criticized his leadership, stating that his decisions have "destabilized the party’s internal cohesion and diminished its public credibility."

Rustad has responded to the growing calls for his resignation by stating that he will not step down, referring to the letter as an "internal matter within the party."

The poll results come amid a turbulent period for the B.C. Conservative Party, which has seen five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) leave, including Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong, who have since formed a new right-wing party called OneBC.

In contrast, the governing B.C. NDP is also facing challenges. The poll found that 56% of British Columbians are dissatisfied with the performance of the NDP under leader David Eby. Among those who supported the NDP in the last election, 26% expressed unhappiness with the government’s current performance.

In terms of voter intention, the B.C. NDP and Conservatives are nearly tied, with 40% of respondents indicating they would vote for the NDP and 41% for the Conservatives. The B.C. Greens, led by Emily Lowen, are trailing with 11% support.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey from October 23 to 25, polling 1,044 British Columbians. The margin of error for a sample of this size is +/- 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.