March: Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA leaves Conservative Party
Published 8:00 am Thursday, December 25, 2025
A turbulent year for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong began in March.
On March 7, 2025 Armstrong stepped down from the BC Conservative Party in support of her colleague, Dallas Brodie who was removed from the caucus for “mocking and belittling” residential school survivors.
Following a series of statements on X, podcasts and online forums, by Dallas Brodie, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, the Metis Nation of B.C. called for the removal of Brodie due to her repeatedly disputing the existence of a mass grave at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops.
John Rustad, the now former leader of the B.C. Conservative Party released a statement saying Brodie’s removal was a “result of her decision to publicly mock and belittle testimony from former residential school students, including by mimicking individuals recounting stories of abuses — including child sex abuse.”
After the press conference, Tara Armstrong publicly announced her resignation via X, where she said that she would take a stand against her removal and the actions of Rustad.
“No one was surprised when [Premier David Eby] attacked Brodie for telling the truth about Kamloops. But John Rustad’s cowardly decision to stab her in the back revealed just how corrupt he has become,” wrote Armstrong.
At the press conference following Brodie’s removal from the caucus was announced, Rustad stated that horrible things did happen to vulnerable children at Residential Schools, and states that the atrocities have been proven in court.
Rustad made an appearance on a podcast following Armstrong’s removal and made note of the way in which Brodie “uses a mocking, child-like voice to belittle testimony from former Residential School students, saying things like my ‘grandmother’s truth’ and ‘my truth, your truth’ in a child-like ‘whining’ voice.”
However, Rustad did not denounce Brodie’s comments that specifically relate to the grave sites at the former residential school. He said her removal is solely about an elected MLA using her position of authority to mock testimony of survivors of abuse, including child sex abuse.
Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy also left the B.C. Conservatives in support of Brodie and remains party-less. On X, he announced that he will continue to serve his community “with or without a party.”
Brodie and Armstrong then became members of the One B.C party, where Brodie became the party leader and Armstrong as the B.C MLA.
As of Dec. 14, Brodie has been removed as the party leader and Armstrong is now the only One B.C MLA in the B.C legislature.
Armstrong took to X to share her thoughts on Brodie’s removal saying that she had lost confidence in Brodie and that there is more to come.
