‘Now is my time to step back’; MLA Todd Stone retires from provincial politics, endorses Ward Stamer

KAMLOOPS — “Earlier this week, I made the difficult decision that the best thing that I could do right now, to support our coalition, is to take a step back and withdraw my candidacy in this next election,” announced Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone Thursday (Aug 29) morning.

After more than a decade of service as a BC Liberal and then BC United member, Stone is leaving politics, announcing that he made the decision prior to the United-Conservative announcement from Kevin Falcon and John Rustad on Wednesday (Aug 28).

“I let Kevin Falcon know of my intentions on Tuesday morning,” stated Stone. “I firmly believe there is a time for everything. It was the right time for me to enter public life back in 2013, but my gut tells me today that now is my time to step back.”

In backing out, Stone is putting his support behind the BC Conservative candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson, Barriere mayor Ward Stamer.

“There is a process in place. I don’t think there is going to that much collaboration quite frankly between Kevin Falcon and John Rustad. We are not standing down — the BC United is,” Stamer told CFJC News. “We aren’t changing our policies, we are not changing our morals, we aren’t changing anything other than trying to make sure that we are fully explaining what we are about, who we are about, and what we want to do as we lead.”

Over the past few months, as BC United members have crossed the floor to the Tories, Stone routinely said candidates would have to stand on their records and defend some of Rustad’s more extreme views on issues like climate change and SOGI.

“My positions on those issues have not changed,” said Stone. “I will say there are many issues that I have personally significant difference of opinion and perspective with John Rustad and the BC Conservatives. I think 70-to-80 per cent, there is overlap and agreement between the two parties.”

While Stone is asking supporters to consider Stamer, the move to dissolve the centre-right party leaves many, including former MLA Terry Lake, political nomads who will focus on individuals rather than parties.

“I think that probably there are a lot of people who feel like I do — that they don’t have a political home in this province anymore, which is sad. But it’s the nature of politics. Times change — sometimes very quickly — as [they have] over the past couple of years,” said Lake.

While the party will not run candidates this October, it still exists, and its future is uncertain.

“I think it depends what happens with this election and the BC Conservatives. As [Stone] said, if they can be mainstream not extreme — I think that was a great line — then it’s unlikely that you will see another party form. But if they can’t do that, if they are seen as too extreme, I think there will be an effort to have a more centrist party arise again,” noted Lake.

Kamloops MLA and BCU candidate for Kamloops Centre Peter Milobar has not announced his future plans as of yet.

Electors go to the polls on Saturday, October 19.

“(I’ll) try and remember again what being a husband is all about, being a dad is all about,” joked Stone. “And I guess the final point is I am damn excited to get back into the private sector.”

CFJC News has learned BC Conservative leader John Rustad will be making a tour of the region on Friday (Aug. 30), making stops in Clearwater, Barriere, Kamloops and Chase. We are working to arrange an opportunity to speak with the party leader about the recent political shift in B.C.