John Rustad (born 1963) is a Canadian member of the
Legislative Assembly of the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nort ...
of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
. He currently represents the constituency of
Nechako Lakes
The Nechako Lakes is an informal term for group of lakes in Northern British Columbia, Canada on the Nechako Plateau. Major lakes in the group are Babine Lake, Francois Lake, Ootsa Lake, Trembleur Lake, Takla Lake and Stuart Lake. "Nechako Lak ...
, which he has held since the
2009 election.
[John Rustad Official Website](_blank)
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He was first elected in 2005 representing the riding of Prince George-Omineca
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, which was dissolved in 2009 and replaced by the current Nechako Lakes riding. Rustad was re-elected to represent the riding in 2013 and was appointed Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation on June 10, 2013 by Premier Christy Clark. He previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Forestry to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and as a member of the Environment and Land Use Committee, Legislative Review Committee, Treasury Board, Select Standing Committee on Education, Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Select Standing Committee on Health.
Rustad was born and raised in Prince George and has lived all of his life in northern B.C. He grew up enjoying fishing and hunting. In 2009, he and his wife Kim moved to Cluculz Lake
Cluculz Lake is a settlement in British Columbia, located 40 km west of Prince George alongside the Yellowhead Highway. The word "Cluculz" is translated Big Whitefish and is based on a story told by local Carrier people of a group who paddl ...
.
On August 18, 2022, Rustad was removed from the BC Liberal
The British Columbia Liberal Party, often shortened to the BC Liberals, is a centre-right provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition. Subsequent to the 2020 British Columbia general ...
caucus by leader Kevin Falcon
Kevin Falcon (born 1963) is a Canadian financial executive and a provincial politician who is the leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party as of 2022, and the Leader of the Opposition as of May 2022. He is the member of the Legislative Assemb ...
after Rustad suggested online that carbon dioxide emissions were not contributing to climate change.
Electoral record
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rustad, John
1963 births
British Columbia Liberal Party MLAs
Living people
Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia
People from Prince George, British Columbia
Politicians affected by a party expulsion process
21st-century Canadian politicians