By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird was one of 13 Conservative MLAs to sign a letter addressed to party leader John Rustad outlining concerns over fellow Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko. With 44 members total, the signatories represent roughly a third of the Conservative caucus.
In an interview with the CBC, Sturko said she thought it was appropriate for the Vancouver Police Board to accept the resignation of vice-chair Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba after a series of her Instagram posts on immigration and religion were shared to Reddit. Sturko added that Sakoma-Fadugba’s comments were offensive.
According to the screenshots shared on Reddit, Sakoma-Fadugba wrote that she was concerned about her son’s school holding a celebration for the Hindu festival of Diwali. She also expressed concern that mass immigration has led to the disappearance of a shared Canadian identity.
“It took me some time to realize that the push for secular education isn’t about religion – it’s about erasing Christian values from the lives of our children,” read the screenshots. “The reason Canada is such a tolerant society is because Christianity, the dominant religion here, is inherently tolerant.”
The content of the posts are inconsistent with the Vancouver Police Board’s Code of Conduct, according to a statement from board chair Frank Chong. Sakoma-Fadugba resigned from the board shortly afterwards.
In their letter regarding Sturko’s comments, signatories said Sakoma-Fadugba’s comments reflect values which many BC Conservative members hold. They asked Rustad to request that Sturko write an apology to Sakoma-Fadugba, or write an apology on behalf of the Conservative caucus if Sturko refused.
“Under your leadership, the Conservative Party of BC has consistently denounced ‘cancel culture,’” the letter reads. “It is our view that [Sturko’s] statements caused undue harm to Ms.Sakoma and called into question our commitment to the core values shared by Conservatives.”
The Goat sent Bird’s office a request for comment via email.
“The Conservative Party does not discuss Caucus business publicly,” the response reads. “Rosalyn and the other Caucus Members are focused on addressing the issues faced by everyday British Columbians: cost of living, healthcare, crime, addictions, and homelessness.”
