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 91裸聊视频渃rackpot91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渁ntifa91裸聊视频� 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 month91裸聊视频檚 deal to suspend United91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渞ip off the Band-Aid,91裸聊视频� 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 NDP91裸聊视频檚 David Eby demanding John Rustad drop seven of his Tory candidates before Saturday91裸聊视频檚 nomination deadline. Rustad countered by calling on Eby to support a potential conflict of interest investigation involving Ravi Kahlon, the province91裸聊视频檚 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 party91裸聊视频檚 slate of candidates and the legislature is in need of 91裸聊视频渇resh people91裸聊视频� who are willing to 91裸聊视频渟tand up, say things and be themselves.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭here are some obviously that still believe (NDP Leader) David Eby91裸聊视频檚 approach is the right approach and want to do everything they can to support him,91裸聊视频� said Rustad.
91裸聊视频淏ut I can tell you this, here91裸聊视频檚 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 Eby91裸聊视频檚 leadership?91裸聊视频�
Eby91裸聊视频檚 letter to Rustad called on the B.C. Conservatives to drop seven candidates he said 91裸聊视频減ublicly endorsed anti-democratic conspiracy theories91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淚 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 shouldn91裸聊视频檛 govern according to internet conspiracy theories,91裸聊视频� Eby said in an interview after sending the letter.
Rustad said Eby91裸聊视频檚 team, in turn, has done more harm to the province through improper management of the economy and public safety.
91裸聊视频淲e do not need a party, quite frankly, in this province under David Eby91裸聊视频檚 weak leadership that has created all of these sort of problems,91裸聊视频� Rustad said. 91裸聊视频淪o I91裸聊视频檇 be happy to match person-to-person any day of the week with David Eby.91裸聊视频�
Rustad91裸聊视频檚 letter to Eby urged the NDP Leader to investigate Kahlon, the Delta North NDP candidate, on whether a company owned by Kahlon91裸聊视频檚 brother applied for provincial permits while Kahlon was minister.
91裸聊视频淭ransparency and accountability are essential for maintaining public trust in our democratic institutions,91裸聊视频� the letter reads. 91裸聊视频淣ewly surfaced information about NDP Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon91裸聊视频檚 potential conflicts of interest is deeply troubling, and British Columbians deserve an investigation now to get to the bottom of this.91裸聊视频�
A message from the NDP campaign said Kahlon has disclosed his brother91裸聊视频檚 ownership of the company in question to the B.C. Conflict of Interest Commissioner 91裸聊视频渓ong ago,91裸聊视频� and the former housing minister 91裸聊视频渉as no stakes91裸聊视频� in his brother91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频淏C Conservative MAGA conspiracies.91裸聊视频�
The accompanying NDP news release said: 91裸聊视频淩ustad91裸聊视频檚 candidates are openly endorsing crackpot MAGA conspiracies.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频渆at bugs.91裸聊视频�
Eby said at a Friday campaign appearance in Cumberland, B.C., that Rustad and his team were 91裸聊视频渇ocused on bizarre internet conspiracy theories 91裸聊视频� vaccines are a hoax, the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax, kids are being forced to eat bugs.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� 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 Saturday91裸聊视频檚 nomination deadline.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very troubling that candidates, (and) John Rustad himself, have been falling down this rabbit hole of conspiracy theories,91裸聊视频� he said.
Kahlon said he91裸聊视频檚 sure 91裸聊视频渆veryone91裸聊视频� has someone in their life who has fallen down those 91裸聊视频渞abbit holes91裸聊视频� online and 91裸聊视频渃ome out saying weird things,91裸聊视频� but people should ask themselves whether they want a premier who shares those views.
91裸聊视频淭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 haven91裸聊视频檛 fallen down this rabbit hole of conspiracy theories leading the province,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渟o-called vaccine91裸聊视频� against COVID-19, and that vaccine mandates were 91裸聊视频渘ot so much91裸聊视频� about achieving herd immunity or stopping the spread of the disease as they were about 91裸聊视频渟haping opinion and control of the population.91裸聊视频�
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 wasn91裸聊视频檛 asked about it.
