Bad timing for leadership review says Cummins

B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins says he's "not overly concerned" about challenges to his leadership, which could force him to step down less than a year before a provincial election.

Discontent within the B.C. Conservatives has led some of the party's board members to call for a formal leadership review.

"Regardless of what you do, it's just not going to meet with everyone's satisfaction," said Cummins Wednesday morning.

"You do the best you can and if you've acted in what you think is in the best interest of the party, you've done your best and you sleep well at night. And I don't have any trouble sleeping at night," he said.

Ballots have been sent to party members and the results will be announced at the party's annual meeting on Sept. 22.

If party members decide they want a formal leadership review, Cummins says he would have to step down immediately.

The party would then hold a leadership race, a leadership convention and possibly select a new headjust months before a provincial election, said Cummins.

"All of that could take two or three months to get it over with, and meanwhile our election campaign would stall, and the organization would stall, our candidate, our nominations, everything," said Cummins.

"It's not a wise idea from a strategic point of view."

As of Wednesday 10 of the 18 B.C. Conservative board members had joined agroup called "Friends of John Cummins."

They're encouragingmembers at large to vote not to holda formal leadership review.

The Conservatives' only elected member, Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen, is not among those endorsing Cummins' leadership.