Early days of B.C. campaign sees NDP, Conservatives trade barbs over housing, drugs

By The Canadian Press on September 23, 2024.

In a composite image made of two photographs, B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad, left, walks after attending a ceremony at the LingYen Mountain Temple Buddhist monastery, in Richmond, B.C., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024; B.C. NDP Leader David Eby speaks with candidates, not shown, in North Vancouver B.C., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck, Ethan Cairns

VANCOUVER – Drug policy and housing shortages are emerging as the top issues early in British Columbia’s election campaign.

New Democrat Leader David Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad spent much of the campaign’s first weekend traversing Metro Vancouver, from Richmond to North Vancouver to Surrey to Langley, signaling the importance of winning ridings in urban areas.

Rustad launched his campaign in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside CRAB park, an area associated with homeless encampments and people with addiction and mental health issues.

He turned up his focus on the drug issue on Sunday, releasing a statement saying the B.C. Conservatives commit to shutting down injection sites in Richmond and calling them drug dens.

Eby and Green Leader Sonia Furstenau denounced the statement, saying Rustad had voiced support for safe drug injection sites earlier this month.

Furstenau says Rustad was a cabinet minister in the former B.C. Liberal government that funded safe injection sites.