Almost 200 pages of research on the B.C. Conservative Party, which sources within BC United confirm were compiled by their party before it dropped out of the British Columbia election campaign to support its former rival, have come back to haunt the new alliance.
The New Democrats are using the leaked documents to depict B.C. Conservative candidates as supporters of what they call B次元官网网址渃rackpotB次元官网网址� conspiracy theories, including that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol involved B次元官网网址渁ntifaB次元官网网址� in disguise.
Two BC United members, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Saturday the documents were the result of research compiled by the party before the election campaign, but denied being sources of the leak.
They said the research was handed over to the B.C. Conservatives as part of last monthB次元官网网址檚 deal to suspend UnitedB次元官网网址檚 campaign in hopes of avoiding a centre-right vote split.
One of the members suggested the Conservatives themselves could be the source of the leak in an attempt to B次元官网网址渞ip off the Band-Aid,B次元官网网址� and one of the sources said up to eight people within BC United had access to the research.
The release of the leaked research triggered an exchange of pointed letters between the Conservative and New Democrat leaders, with the NDPB次元官网网址檚 David Eby demanding John Rustad drop seven of his Tory candidates before SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 nomination deadline. Rustad countered by calling on Eby to support a potential conflict of interest investigation involving Ravi Kahlon, the provinceB次元官网网址檚 most recent housing minister.
When asked by a reporter about the leaked documents during a campaign stop Saturday, Rustad said he is confident about his partyB次元官网网址檚 slate of candidates and the legislature is in need of B次元官网网址渇resh peopleB次元官网网址� who are willing to B次元官网网址渟tand up, say things and be themselves.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭here are some obviously that still believe (NDP Leader) David EbyB次元官网网址檚 approach is the right approach and want to do everything they can to support him,B次元官网网址� said Rustad.
B次元官网网址淏ut I can tell you this, hereB次元官网网址檚 the thing I really have to chuckle about: David Eby, close to half of his cabinet has resigned and is not running. He obviously does not have the confidence in his own team to do a cabinet shuffle and put people in position. What does that say about David EbyB次元官网网址檚 leadership?B次元官网网址�
EbyB次元官网网址檚 letter to Rustad called on the B.C. Conservatives to drop seven candidates he said B次元官网网址減ublicly endorsed anti-democratic conspiracy theoriesB次元官网网址� and made statements involving bigoted and sexist views.
The letter to Rustad named seven B.C. Conservative candidates: Chris Sankey, North Coast-Haida Gwaii John Koury, Cowichan Valley Bryan Tepper, Surrey-Panorama Harman Bhangu, Langley-Abbotsford Sharon Hartwell, Bulkley Valley-Stikine Sheldon Clare, Prince George-North Cariboo and Bryan Breguet, Vancouver-Langara.
B次元官网网址淚 believe that this election is crucially important around the values that British Columbians have: That climate change is real (and) we should deal with it, that everybody needs to feel welcome and valued, that we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 govern according to internet conspiracy theories,B次元官网网址� Eby said in an interview after sending the letter.
Rustad said EbyB次元官网网址檚 team, in turn, has done more harm to the province through improper management of the economy and public safety.
B次元官网网址淲e do not need a party, quite frankly, in this province under David EbyB次元官网网址檚 weak leadership that has created all of these sort of problems,B次元官网网址� Rustad said. B次元官网网址淪o IB次元官网网址檇 be happy to match person-to-person any day of the week with David Eby.B次元官网网址�
RustadB次元官网网址檚 letter to Eby urged the NDP Leader to investigate Kahlon, the Delta North NDP candidate, on whether a company owned by KahlonB次元官网网址檚 brother applied for provincial permits while Kahlon was minister.
B次元官网网址淭ransparency and accountability are essential for maintaining public trust in our democratic institutions,B次元官网网址� the letter reads. B次元官网网址淣ewly surfaced information about NDP Housing Minister Ravi KahlonB次元官网网址檚 potential conflicts of interest is deeply troubling, and British Columbians deserve an investigation now to get to the bottom of this.B次元官网网址�
A message from the NDP campaign said Kahlon has disclosed his brotherB次元官网网址檚 ownership of the company in question to the B.C. Conflict of Interest Commissioner B次元官网网址渓ong ago,B次元官网网址� and the former housing minister B次元官网网址渉as no stakesB次元官网网址� in his brotherB次元官网网址檚 company.
The BC United documents on the Conservative candidates were first publicly released by radio host and former BC United MLA Jas Johal on Thursday.
Portions were then shared by NDP candidate Ravi Parmar on social media platform X on Friday, and distributed by the NDP communications team in a short document titled B次元官网网址淏C Conservative MAGA conspiracies.B次元官网网址�
The accompanying NDP news release said: B次元官网网址淩ustadB次元官网网址檚 candidates are openly endorsing crackpot MAGA conspiracies.B次元官网网址�
The file uploaded to document-sharing site Scribd by Johal is 199 pages long and cites hundreds of social media posts by B.C. Conservative candidates.
It also includes material about Rustad that has already been highlighted by the NDP, including a speech in May last year in which he said children should not be expected to B次元官网网址渆at bugs.B次元官网网址�
Eby said at a Friday campaign appearance in Cumberland, B.C., that Rustad and his team were B次元官网网址渇ocused on bizarre internet conspiracy theories B次元官网网址� vaccines are a hoax, the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax, kids are being forced to eat bugs.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭oday (you see) a significant number of B.C. Conservative candidates advancing American election conspiracies that the January 6 riot at the Capitol Building was, in fact, a hoax, that it was actors that were made up,B次元官网网址� he said.
Kahlon said in an interview Friday that he is calling on Rustad to drop the candidates named in the BC United document ahead of SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 nomination deadline.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very troubling that candidates, (and) John Rustad himself, have been falling down this rabbit hole of conspiracy theories,B次元官网网址� he said.
Kahlon said heB次元官网网址檚 sure B次元官网网址渆veryoneB次元官网网址� has someone in their life who has fallen down those B次元官网网址渞abbit holesB次元官网网址� online and B次元官网网址渃ome out saying weird things,B次元官网网址� but people should ask themselves whether they want a premier who shares those views.
B次元官网网址淭hese are people who are making important health decisions, important decisions about our environment, making decisions about where housing will be built, if it will be built at all, and so we want people who havenB次元官网网址檛 fallen down this rabbit hole of conspiracy theories leading the province,B次元官网网址� said Kahlon.
He said the NDP was alerted to the various tweets after they were shared by Johal on social media.
The party previously highlighted comments by Rustad in June in which he said he regretted getting the B次元官网网址渟o-called vaccineB次元官网网址� against COVID-19, and that vaccine mandates were B次元官网网址渘ot so muchB次元官网网址� about achieving herd immunity or stopping the spread of the disease as they were about B次元官网网址渟haping opinion and control of the population.B次元官网网址�
Rustad said this week he regretted getting vaccinated because he developed heart problems after his second shot, and when he went for his third he wasnB次元官网网址檛 asked about it.
