Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad has ejected Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie from caucus after she mocked testimonies of Indian residential schools.
It appears to be a decision prompted by Brodie’s actions in more ways than one.
“Yesterday, MLA Dallas Brodie challenged the Conservative Party of BC caucus to fire her — including by asking Conservative MLAs to have a vote on removing her — and made the decision to walk out of the Conservative Party of BC caucus room,” Rustad said in a statement Friday.
The ejection follows an online interview of Brodie on March 6 wherein Rustad described the MLA as “publicly mocking and belittling” the testimony from former Indian residential school students.
Late last month Brodie posted a message on X.com to defend Victoria lawyer James Heller, who is suing the Law Society of B.C. for libel.
Heller says he was labelled a racist after asking the society to edit Indigenous coursework that stated the unmarked remains of 215 children were located within the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in May 2021.
In fact, ground-penetrating radar only found anomalies and no bodies have been since been confirmed.
Heller argued the principle of truth must be exhibited in coursework. Heller’s motion at an annual general meeting last September split the voting member lawyers, with 47 per cent in support of Heller in asking for accurate representation while 53 per cent opposed it, with some claiming the motion was racist or unnecessary.
Fast-forward to last week, Brodie became aware of the lawsuit and asserted on X.com the society was wrong to not change the language it has used.
Brodie then fielded questions in an online video that was posted on X.com There, she noted she had been criticized by an Indigenous MLA colleague, referencing Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Á'a:líya Warbus.
Brodie doubled down on her position but also mocked the “truths” of residential school testimonies — and it was that, said Rustad, “where I draw the line.”
He said “horrible things happened to vulnerable children at Residential Schools — including pedophiles preying on children; at Kamloops Indian Residential School, Gerald Mathieu Moran was charged and convicted by Canadian courts with several dozen sex crimes he committed against children while working there.
“In a recent podcast appearance, Dallas 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.
“This is about an elected MLA using her position of authority to mock testimony of survivors of abuse, including child sex abuse.”
Rustad said he wanted to be clear “this has nothing to do with whether or not there are undiscovered remains at Kamloops Indian Residential School, where it is objectively true that no new bodies have been found.”
Rustad also stated that the party will take over Brodie’s work, “including advocating to ensure the Law Society of BC uses accurate language in training materials, and does not unduly agitate against its members.”
BIV reached out to Brodie’s office for comment on Friday and Brodie issued a statement that reads, in part: "I spoke the truth because it matters. I will never back down from it. It is an indisputable fact that the number of bodies discovered at Kamloops is zero. The truth is a threat to powerful vested interests in the multi-billion-dollar reconciliation industry.
"Politicians like David Eby and John Rustad are willing to sell off British Columbia’s wealth and power, transferring it from the public to an elite racial minority—enriching opportunistic lawyers, consultants, and chiefs along the way."
This article was updated after publication to include Brodie's statement.
