BC Conservative Leader John Rustad on Radio NL/via BC Conservative Party

The head of the BC Conservative Party has made a stop-over in Kamloops to try to drum up support ahead of the October election.

John Rustad hit Kamloops Monday as part of a pre-election campaign swing, stumping in support of Kamloops Centre BC Conservative candidate Dennis Giesbrecht and Kamloops-North Thompson candidate Ward Stamer, meeting with the media as well as local business leaders.

Rustad suggests the political track in BC is “broken.”

“We’ve got a crisis in our health care system. We’ve got a crisis in affordability. We’ve got a crisis in housing. We’ve got a crisis in drugs and the drug issues. We’ve got a crisis in crime. Our resource sectors are in a crisis. Even our finances in the province are in a crisis with debt downgrades and these massive deficits that the government is running,” said Rustad as part of a sit down interview with Radio NL.

Rustad argues the voting public in BC is looking for change.

“What we have across the province is really a lot of momentum. Grassroots people signing up and joining and being part of the team. People are looking for change. It’s been 33 years since 1991. 16 years of BC Liberal and 17 years of NDP. Just about everything you look at is either in a crisis or broken,” said Rustad.

Rustad suggests his party’s campaign is not going to be based around its ability to spend.

“Our fundraising is picking up dramatically. But we are not going to be running the same sized campaign that the NDP has. That’s why we’re building a grassroots movement. At the end of the day, I don’t believe that money can buy votes,” argued Rustad.

Rustad’s time in Kamloops comes on the heels of failed merger discussions with the main opposition BC United last week.

Recent polling has the BC Conservative Party well ahead of BC United for 2nd place, but still far enough back of the NDP that most observers are suggesting the New Democrats will maintain a majority government following the October vote.