B.C. campaign enters week 2 with full list of candidates, leaders' debate ahead

LEFT: B.C. Premier David Eby waits to speak during a news conference at in Surrey, B.C., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns) RIGHT: BC Conservative Leader John Rustad listens during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

British Columbia's election campaign is entering its second week with each party's team of candidates in place and the leaders looking ahead to the upcoming televised debate.

The Oct. 9 debate will be one of the few occasions B.C. voters will see the leaders of the New Democrats, B.C. Conservatives and the Greens face each other during the campaign.

NDP Leader David Eby and B.C. Conservatives Leader John Rustad spent the first week of the campaign taking verbal personal swings at each other and criticizing their policies.

Eby says Rustad's conspiracy-supporting anti-vaccine position could end up hurting people and the health care system, while Rustad says the NDP leader's weak leadership and left wing viewpoints are damaging the province.

Elections BC says its final list of nominated candidates for the Oct. 19 vote includes 93 from the NDP, 93 from the B.C. Conservatives, 69 from the Greens and 40 Independents.

The list from Elections BC does not contain any official Opposition BC United candidates but does include five Freedom Party of B.C. hopefuls, four Libertarians, three representing the Communist Party of B.C. and two candidates from the Christian Heritage Party of B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.