BC United MLA Ellis Ross Leaves Provincial Politics to Join Federal Conservatives

Ellis Ross, then-B.C. Liberal MLA for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, in Vancouver in 2016. Mr. Ross has announced he is leaving provincial politics to run for the federal conservatives. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

High-profile B.C. United Party MLA and former leadership contender Ellis Ross is leaving his provincial post to run for the federal Conservatives.

The Conservative Party of Canada made the announcement on its website on Jan. 22, calling him a “strong advocate” for the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley.

The former Chief of the Haisla Nation, in a video posted to X, said deciding to leave his provincial position to run for the federal Conservatives was “a tough decision” that took him more than six months to make.

“I believe in the potential of this province and our country,” Mr. Ross said in the news release. “We need to unleash the power of our people and develop our resources in a sustainable way. We need to get rid of the bureaucracy holding up energy projects and cancel the NDP-Liberal carbon tax once and for all.”

B.C. United Party leader Kevin Falcon, who was in the video with Mr. Ross, said it was both “sad and happy at the same time” to be losing a colleague.

“Sad because I hate losing a great colleague like Ellis, but happy because your message and your fight for… natural resources is going to go to Ottawa where it belongs,” Mr. Falcon told Mr. Ross in his video post on X.

“I think anytime we can get a really great person like Ellis involved in the federal government, that’s a win for British Columbia too,” Mr. Falcon said, adding that he believed Mr. Ross would win the seat in Skeena-Bulkley Valley.

Mr. Ross began his political career in 2011 when he was elected chief of the Haisla Nation. He was re-elected to the role in 2013.

He was then elected in 2017 as the MLA for Skeena-Bulkley Valley and was re-elected in 2020. He has been serving as his party’s shadow minister for energy and LNG. Previously, Mr. Ross was the critic for environment and climate change strategy as the Official Opposition. He also served as the minister of natural gas development and minister for responsible housing.

In 2021, when the United Party (then the B.C. Liberal Party) decided not to let Aaron Gunn run in the leadership race due to social media messages he posted, Mr. Ross spoke out in Mr. Gunn’s defence.

“The decision as to his leadership should have been made by the voting members of the BC Liberal Party,” Ross said on Twitter on Oct. 22, 2021. “This is not about whether or not I agree with all of Mr. Gunn’s views, but whether or not he should have been permitted to run.”

Mr. Ross added that “British Columbians have been clear that to earn their trust again, we must be a ‘big tent’ party that is inclusive of views and opinions from across the political spectrum.”

He also wrote a letter to the Leadership Election Organizing Committee, asking for Mr. Gunn to be permitted to run.

MLAs Cross the Floor

Mr. Ross’s departure from B.C. United comes on the heels of two other exits in recent years.

John Rustad, who is now the leader of the provincial B.C. Conservative Party, joined the party after being kicked out of the United Party in 2022 over comments he made on social media about climate change.

In August of 2022, Mr. Rustad shared an Australian article that questioned whether carbon dioxide was a catalyst for global warming.

Then-B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon responded to Mr. Rustad’s post by saying, “The BC Liberals are strongly committed to substantive climate action and restoring BC’s place as a world leader in climate policy. John Rustad does not speak on behalf of caucus on this issue.”

Mr. Falcon issued a statement a day after the social media post, announcing the removal of Mr. Rustad from the party.

“Following a pattern of behaviour that was not supportive of our caucus team and the principles of mutual respect and trust, I have removed MLA John Rustad from the BC Liberal Caucus effective immediately,” he said.

Mr. Rustad sat as an independent until he joined the Conservative Party of BC in February of 2023. He was subsequently elected leader in March.

Another MLA from the United Party, Bruce Banman, crossed the floor to join Mr. Rustad as a Conservative last September. Mr. Banman’s action allowed the Conservative Party of BC to gain official party status in the legislature with two sitting MLAs.

A Leger survey released in October 2023, found the Conservative Party of B.C. would place second in popular votes if a provincial election was held, pushing the B.C. United Party into third place.

The poll said support for the Conservatives was at 25 percent, up from 16 percent in July 2023. Support for the B.C. United Party had dropped to 19 percent in October 2023 from 27 percent in July.

Isaac Teo contributed to this report.