B.C. United MLA Bruce Banman defects to B.C. Conservatives, giving them official party status

Bruce Banman, the B.C. United MLA for Abbotsford South, has crossed the floor to join John Rustad’s B.C. Conservatives, giving them official party status.

Rustad told Postmedia News that after a few in-person meetings and discussions over the last month, Banman decided he would be better able to speak up about issues important to his constituents under the Conservative banner.

“When you look at the B.C. NDP, B.C. United, the Greens, three lefts don’t make a right,” he said.

In a statement, B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon said Banman’s departure “was not entirely unexpected due to ongoing internal management challenges” and said his “decision betrays the Abbotsford constituents who elected him as a member of our team.”