5 memorable moments from the B.C. leaders' debate

Some sparks flew during Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate between David Eby, John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau, as the trio had impassioned exchanges about the issues that are on many British Columbians’ minds ahead of election night, including housing, health care, the cost of living and public safety.

During the 90-minute showdown, the leaders of B.C.’s Conservative, Green and NDP parties were each able to land a few blows while delivering their own messages to voters.

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The night was overall civil and respectful, but not without some tense moments. Here are some of the notable exchanges, in chronological order. 

Furstenau challenges Rustad’s ‘dark and gloomy’ view of B.C.

Early on in the debate, when the leaders were asked what they would tell the undecided voter, Rustad described people dying in the streets from crime and drugs, and the need to address the crises in health care, affordability and housing. He brought up—for the first time of many—the Angus Reid poll finding that one in two young people are considering leaving B.C., saying “that, to me, is a failure of leadership – it’s weak leadership.”

Furstenau pushed back, saying: “It really is astonishing to hear John Rustad always talk about how many young people want to leave B.C., but never talk about investing in young people.” After listing some of her ideas, including making post-secondary education more affordable, she continued, “He never talks about solutions. He talks about all the problems, and he consistently focuses on what's negative. I feel like I live in a different place from John Rustad, his vision of B.C. is one that is dark and gloomy. We need a vision of hope.” 

Eby and Rustad butt heads over government’s role in affordable housing

During the housing affordability portion of the debate, Rustad came down hard on the NDP’s housing policies, saying they targeted speculators, vacant properties and short-term rentals rather than “pointing at the real problem, which is government, and government is getting in the way.”

Eby responded by saying that housing was what drove him to get into politics, while claiming Rustad doesn’t believe the premier’s job is to help with affordable housing and that “he’s not going to build a single unit.”

Rustad vowed to “unleash the potential of the private sector,” to which Eby retorted, “Why are you putting more red tape in their way?” The Conservatives have vowed to repeal B.C. legislation forcing relaxed zoning and densification into communities across the province

The Conservative leader then accused the NDP of “bullying” municipalities and said “David Eby’s approach is to be an authoritarian.” 

Heated exchange over anti-vax comments

Things got a little tense when Eby came out swinging about Rustad and some of his candidates’ stances on the COVID-19 vaccine, saying, “He’s still an anti-vaxxer. He appeared in front of a group of people, you called it a ‘so-called’ COVID vaccine. He said he wished he’d never been vaccinated. And then when someone said, Do you think that public health professionals should be tried like Nazi war criminals? He said, well, we wouldn't do that in B.C., but we would support an international effort. You can’t say that John, it's embarrassing.”

Rustad pointed out that he had received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and claimed he supported seniors getting vaccinated. “I am not anti-vax. I am anti mandate,” he clarified. “I believe that people should have choices. It shouldn't be thrust upon or forced upon them or coerced to be able to take a vaccine.” 

Hard questions about drugs

Debate moderator Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, asked some tough questions of the candidates when it came to the toxic drug crisis and homelessness in B.C. She pointedly asked Rustad about his plan to “end tent cities” with drug-free housing, pointing out the shelters do not exist at the scale needed.

Rustad said the province’s policies are failing, and that “We need to make sure that we bring an end to decriminalization and safe supply. We need to bring an end to government being a drug dealer.” He instead pledged investment in recovery programs.

Kurl pushed him again, asking, “Are you not driving drug addicted people back into the streets? Where exactly do you expect them to go?” And he reiterated that recovery housing needs to be built and “I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to talk more about that in the future.”

The moderator also confronted Eby about claims that his government’s drug policies, including decriminalization, have only made things worse. “We tried it and it didn't produce the results that anybody wanted,” the NDP leader conceded. “So we had to change course. It's a hard problem. It won’t be solved with simple slogans.” 

Leaders trade barbs over costed platform

While Rustad took shots at the NDP government for running on a deficit, arguing for the need to slash bureaucracy and get the economy going, Eby—conceding that “government budgets are under pressure” but promising declining deficits over time—took aim at the fact the Conservatives haven’t released a costed platform.

“An economist at UBC says your platform is written in pixie dust,” he said. “Can you at least be honest with British Columbians what are you going to cut?”

A debate ensued about tax cuts and spending plans, climaxing with Rustad claiming Eby would double the carbon tax—with Furstenau interjecting to note the NDP and Conservatives want to cut it—before saying “taxing people into poverty is not going to change the weather, Mr. Eby.”

“No costed platform and a climate denier,” Eby said, speaking over Rustad.

“This is why we’re stuck in the 20th Century,” Furstenau retorted.