John Rustad

About John Rustad

John Rustad is the Conservative MLA for Nechako Lakes - a riding he has held since 2005.

John was born and raised in Prince George, married Kim in 1995, and has spent his entire life living in northern British Columbia. However, in the early 2000s, John was faced with a difficult task. Frustrated with the direction the province was headed, John had to decide between leaving for greener pastures or sticking around. Thankfully, he decided to stick around and, in so doing, decided to fight for BC.

For more than 20 years, John has fought for the people of British Columbia. First being elected as a school board trustee to SD-57 and then as an MLA in 2005 to the riding of Prince George–Omineca. Later being re-elected in the riding of Nechako Lakes, after riding redistribution and has served there ever since.

John has been a champion of resource development and economic reconciliation, as well as the champion of the common man his entire time in office. 

As Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, John signed 435 agreements with First Nations–More than any other Canadian politician in modern history.

These agreements have created economic opportunities for not only the province but also the nations involved.

Prior to being elected, John had worked in the forestry industry for more than 20 years. He formed a technology company, Western Geographic Information Systems Inc., a consulting service for the resource sector. He helped create opportunities, jobs, and sustained growth for forestry, bringing prosperity to his community and the province.

After becoming an independent MLA, John joined the Conservative Party of BC because he realized that he must continue to fight and that he couldn’t do it alone.

On March 24, 2023, John Rustad announced his intention to seek the leadership of the Conservative Party and on March 31, he became leader.