Shirley Bond won't be crossing the floor to the Conservatives anytime soon.
Reached Friday, the MLA for Prince George-Valemount said she'll be staying put with the governing Liberals and maintained that all John van Dongen did was bolster the chances of the NDP gaining power by aggravating a right-wing split.
"We need to make sure that those of us who support free enterprise in this province recognize the importance of supporting a government that has a pretty strong track record over more than a decade," Bond said.
On Monday, van Dongen stood up in the legislature to say he's quitting the Liberal caucus and joining the upstart Conservatives, regarded as further to the right on the political spectrum.
"From my perspective, it's a disappointment," Bond said. "It's certainly not something that's going to cause me to rethink the agenda we have."
Bond, currently the Justice Minister and Attorney General, disagreed with van Dongen's criticism of Premier Christy Clark's leadership abilities.
Noting she supported now Finance Minister Kevin Falcon during the party's leadership race, Bond said she has come to have a great deal of respect for her.
"She has unbelievable focus and energy around, for example, a jobs plan that's making a difference in the province," Bond said.
Asked if she'll run again, Bond said that's her intention.
"I am supportive of Christy Clark's agenda and would be very honoured to be part of her team going forward," Bond said.
Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad called van Dongen's departure unfortunate and plans to finish out the term and seek reelection under the Liberal banner.
Asked about Clark's performance so far, Rustad noted that her predecessor, Gordon Campbell, had seven years in opposition to figure out the job.
"Christy's had one year of training and from that perspective, what I have seen in Christy is a continual improvement," Rustad said. "I actually think she's got a lot of strengths that are not perhaps as evident as some people may think and I look forward to what we're going to be able to do over the next year."
Reached earlier in the week, Prince George-Mackenzie MLA and Jobs Minister Pat Bell said he will remain with the Liberals. Like Bond, he supported Falcon during the leadership race, while Rustad favoured George Abbott.
