Category Archives: canadian politics

#BCPoli | BC NDP on Track to Lose Election, Despite the BC Conservative Party Being Unfit to Govern

BC Election 2024, BC Votes 2024, Canada, canadian politics, Essay, Politics, , , , , ,

VanRamblings continues to believe that the British Columbia New Democratic Party will lose the 2024 provincial election.

In fact, the current circumstance is so bad for the party, and its leader David Eby, chances are 50/50 that Mr. Eby will lose his Vancouver-Point Grey seat.

The public seems not to care that John Rustad and the Conservative Party of British Columbia are fielding a surfeit of sexist, misogynist, racist, homophobic and transphobic, climate change denying, reproductive rights denying hate mongers — by no means are we saying that this ne’ er-do-well retinue of antediluvian B.C. Conservative Party candidates represent the entirety, or even a majority, of the B.C. Conservative candidates running for office under the Conservative banner — but rather the desire for change, the anger at what many consider to be an arrogant David Eby-led B.C. NDP administration has proved so concerning, the party in power for the past seven years will lose government eight short days from now.

At dissolution, the B.C. NDP held 55 seats: the party is set to lose up to 18 seats …

  • Vancouver Island. North Island, Courtenay-Comox and Nanaimo-Lantzville will be lost to the B.C. NDP and won by the B.C. Conservatives, as will likely be the case in the Ladysmith-Oceanside riding, with the probability that popular NDP Cabinet Minister Grace Lore will lose her Victoria-Beacon Hill seat to either the Green Party’s Sonia Furstenau, or B.C. Conservative candidate Tim Thielmann;
  • Metro Vancouver / Fraser Valley. The NDP’s Mike Starchuk will lose his Surrey-Cloverdale seat to B.C. Conservative candidate Elenore Sturko. One or both of the Langley seats will be lost by the NDP, although there’s a fighting chance Megan Dykeman will hold on to her Langley-Walnut Grove seat. Abbotsford-Mission is a goner for the NDP, as are both of the  Chilliwack seats currently held by the B.C. NDP;
  • Metro Vancouver, north of the Inlet / Fraser River. Susie Chant will lose her North Vancouver-Seymour seat, as will Janet Routledge, in Burnaby North. One of two, or perhaps both Maple Ridge NDP seats will be counted as a loss(es) on election night.

That’s a total of 11 seats the B.C. NDP are all but guaranteed to lose, which would reduce their seat count to 44, or three below a  majority.

If the B.C. NDP lose two more Surrey seats — as is expected — and lose both Langley and both Maple Ridge seats — and lose Victoria-Beacon Hill — that would add five to the total of lost seats, leaving the B.C. NDP with 39 seats.

Keep an eye on the ridings above on Election Night.

If the B.C. NDP are falling behind in these ridings, and on track to lose them to the B.C. Conservatives, you’ll see Global BC / CTV / CBC call the election for the B.C. Conservatives early in the evening.

The good news is that the B.C. NDP are set to pick up three ridings: Cowichan, Vancouver-Langara and Kootenay-Rockies.

Surprisingly — and we feel disappointingly — in David Eby’s home riding of Vancouver-Point Grey, Mr. Eby is running neck and neck with the controversial B.C. Conservative Party candidate, Paul Ratchford.

As we live in the Vancouver-Point Grey riding, we have heard from a large number of residents in the riding that they will be parking their vote with the Green Party candidate, Devanyi Singh, rather than vote for David Eby.

David Eby could very well lose his own seat on Election Night.

The up side for the B.C. New Democratic Party campaign — and, yes, there is heartening news to be had — is that the party has recovered its support among women voters, and are currently polling 17 points ahead of the B.C. Conservatives with women voters. So, yes indeed, there is still some hope yet for a B.C. NDP win.

Also, in the good news department: the latest polling shows that the B.C. NDP have recovered their support among the electorate age 55+, with even stronger support among those 65 years of age and up. Given that this portion of the population gets out to vote, if the B.C. New Democrats — who have a superb ground game and excel at getting their vote out — can ensure their more mature voters get to either the Advance Polls, or to the polling station on Election Day, that would bode well.

And, finally, in the good news department: the B.C. New Democrats have recovered their support with voters age 18 to 34. Seems that young folks are once again enthusiastic about the B.C. NDP campaign, most probably in response to the failings of the “yep, they’re a grotty bunch of aged, mostly white, mostly male, sexist, misogynist, homo-and-transphobic, and climate change denying ne-er-do-well” B.C. Conservatives, as we’ve seen day-in and day out as reported in various news outlets, on our social media feeds, on Tik Tok, and in small, informal gatherings of friends, “I mean, you’re not voting Conservative, are you?”

Nope, younger voters will not be placing an X next to the name of the B.C. Conservative candidate on the ballot they’ll receive at their local polling station.

All of the above is by way of saying, “it ain’t over til it’s over.”

The election of a John Rustad-led B.C. Conservative Party government would bring chaos, hurt and dysfunction, a maintaining of the status quo — for instance, all of the NDP’s housing projects would grind to a halt, as single family dwellings are maintained as the housing form of choice, with nothing getting done, no new schools built or seismically upgraded —and even more egregiously, the SOGI 123 programme that protects LBGTQ+ and gender variant children will be lost, along with 4,000 books from school libraries, identified by far-right-wing “parental rights” forces — transit will not be properly funded … well, the list goes on and on.

Just because the electoral circumstance is looking dire, doesn’t mean that VanRamblings has any intention of rolling over, or that we’re giving up.

Instead, as we promised on our Facebook timeline yesterday, on VanRamblings today you will find a link to the B.C. United “oppo doc” — see below, and click on the highlighted link — the now defunct, and once powerful, political party compiled on the unfit for office candidates running under the B.C. Conservative banner.

#BCPOLI | OPPO RESEARCH DOC | B.C. United on BC Conservative candidates

Should you click on the link above, you will find concerning information on …

  • Dallas Brodie (Vancouver Quilchena)
  • Chris Sankey (North Coast-Haida Gwaii)
  • Bryan Breguet (Vancouver-Langara)
  • Paul Ratchford (Vancouver-Point Grey)
  • Harman Banghu (Langley-Abbotsford)
  • Jordan Kealy (Peace River North)
  • Larry Neufeld (Peace River South)
  • Tim Thielmann (Victoria-Beacon Hill)
  • Honveer Singh Randhawa (Surrey-Guildford)
  • Korky Neufeld (Abbotsford West)
  • Rosalyn Bird (Prince George-Valemount)
  • Tony Luck (Fraser Nicola)
  • John Koury (Cowichan Valley).

Well, the list goes on and on of B.C. Conservative Party malefactors.

You’ll want to read the oppo doc for yourself.

It’s an eye-opening document providing disturbing insight into the people who could soon be running our province.

#BCPoli | John Rustad’s Vaccine Skepticism Endangers the Health of Most British Columbians

BC Election 2024, BC Votes 2024, Canada, canadian politics, COVID-19, Essay, News, Politics, Vancouver, ,

During the televised Leaders’ Debate on Tuesday evening, John Rustad, the leader of the B.C. Conservative Party, attempted to position himself as anti-mandate rather than anti-vaccine in the ongoing discourse about COVID-19 policies.

Mr. Rustad asserted that while he is not opposed to vaccinations in principle, he stands firmly against mandates that require health care professionals to be vaccinated, especially when working with vulnerable populations such as seniors in long-term care facilities and patients in hospitals.

But this nuanced distinction between being anti-mandate and anti-vaxx quickly breaks down when scrutinized, particularly given the public health consensus around vaccine mandates during the pandemic.


British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix

In British Columbia, the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and Health Minister Adrian Dix of the BC NDP, implemented vaccine mandates for health care workers as a necessary measure to protect vulnerable patients.

This policy was widely supported by the public, particularly as it served to reduce outbreaks in high-risk settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities, where the most vulnerable to COVID-19 reside.

Mr. Rustad’s disagreement with this policy, while couched as a defense of personal choice and bodily autonomy, ignores the broader responsibility that health care workers have to protect those in their care. By focusing on the rights of individuals over the collective health of the population, Mr. Rustad aligns himself with sentiments that fueled the anti-vaccine movement during the pandemic.

Despite Mr. Rustad’s assertions, it is difficult to see the leader of the B.C. Conservatives as anything other than an anti-vaxx candidate for Premier.

Mr. Rustad’s opposition to mandates undermines the importance of vaccinations, particularly in settings where immunity is critical to safeguarding public health.

John Rustad’s participation in, and support for, the 2022 Freedom Convoy further cements this image. The  Convoy, which protested vaccine mandates and public health restrictions, drew significant attention and controversy. Its leadership, including figures like Tamara Lich and Pat King, was tied to far-right groups such as The Proud Boys, and its movement was largely fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines and COVID-19.

Mr. Rustad’s vocal support for the Convoy and his appearance at related events signal his alignment with an anti-vaccine, anti-government fringe that many voters in British Columbia see as harmful and out of touch with mainstream values.

Moreover, Mr. Rustad’s association with the “Nuremberg 2.0” movement — a group that seeks to hold politicians, public health officials, and healthcare workers accountable for enforcing vaccine mandates, sometimes calling for extreme measures such as execution — adds to the troubling picture of his stance on vaccines.

While Mr. Rustad has attempted to distance himself from these more extreme elements, his previous support for “Nuremberg 2.0” cannot be easily disavowed.


The BCPS Employees for Freedom Society interview with B.C. Conservative Party leader John Rustad (you have to skip the first video that loads) who states that if he is elected Premier, he would replace Dr. Henry, and further would compensate with government funds health care professionals who he believes were discriminated against and mistreated under the “regime” of Dr. Bonnie Henry.

John Rustad’s participation in this discourse, as may be heard in the video above, suggests that he is sympathetic to radical ideas about government overreach and personal liberty, which alienates the broader electorate, particularly those who understand the critical importance of public health measures during a pandemic.

Perhaps more alarming than Mr. Rustad’s stance on COVID-19 vaccines is the wider impact that anti-vaxx sentiments have had on childhood vaccinations.

The anti-vaccine movement, amplified during the pandemic, has contributed to a troubling rise in vaccine skepticism among parents.


All of the shots responsible parents must ensure their children receive in the first 18 months of their child’s life, in order to keep their child, and all children their child associates with safe.

Diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and whooping cough, which were once nearly eradicated in developed countries due to widespread immunization, are now re-emerging as fewer parents vaccinate their children.

As per the graphic above — the B.C. Immunization Schedule published by British Columbia’s Ministry of Health — in Canada, children must receive a range of vaccinations before they reach 18 months of age to protect them from these serious and often deadly illnesses.

As may be seen above, a standard schedule of immunizations includes the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, polio, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough), hepatitis B, and rotavirus vaccines, among others.

The erosion of trust in vaccines, driven by movements like the one John Rustad has supported, puts entire communities at risk.

Without sufficient levels of immunization, herd immunity is weakened, meaning even vaccinated children are at greater risk of contracting preventable diseases. The result: rising cases of measles and polio, diseases once relegated to history, but now on the rise once again, causing concern to communities across Canada.

Electing a candidate like Conservative Party of British Columbia leader John Rustad as Premier, a candidate for our province’s highest office, a candidate who flirts with anti-vaxx ideologies and rejects mandates that protect public health, could and would have far-reaching, negative consequences for British Columbians.

John Rustad’s dangerous anti-science views on the efficacy of vaccines undermine confidence in both the healthcare system and public health policies that have kept communities safe from pandemics and other infectious diseases.

A John Rustad-led government might, and most probably would, roll back critical protections, emboldening the anti-vaxx movement, leading to lower vaccination rates for not just COVID-19 but other essential vaccines as well.

Conservative Party of B.C. policies would exacerbate the resurgence of preventable diseases, putting the health of British Columbians — especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised — at risk.

Later this month, the latest Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to the health ministries in provinces across Canada.

B.C. NDP Premier David Eby, as well as B.C. Green Party leader, Sonia Furstenau, have been explicit in stating that the fully funded availability of the latest mRNA vaccine is mandatory, as the province prepares for the rollout of both the latest COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, and the updated flu shot.

How about John Rustad?

Given John Rustad’s skepticism about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, would a John Rustad-led government purchase the necessary tranch of COVID-19 vaccines, or would vulnerable British Columbians be left to their own devices, and responsible themselves for the purchase of the potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccine?

B.C. Conservative Party leader John Rustad’s rhetoric and actions align him more with anti-vaccine extremism than with a legitimate concern for personal freedom.

John Rustad’s rejection of mandates, support for radical movements like the Freedom Convoy, and ties to anti-vaxx conspiracies reflect a dangerous undercurrent in his politics many voters in British Columbia will hopefully find disqualifying.

#BCPoli | Charlie Smith Weighs In| Campaign 2024

BC Election 2024, BC Votes 2024, Canada, canadian politics, Essay, Politics, Vancouver, , , , , , , , ,

In a change of pace, on VanRamblings today we will publish the latest column written by respected British Columbia journalist, Charlie Smith, for nearly two decades the Editor of The Georgia Straight newspaper.

In the 2024 British Columbia provincial, Mr. Smith has come forward as an Independent candidate for office in the riding of Richmond-Bridgeport.

Please find below an “abridged” version of Mr. Smith’s column. The original, unexpurgated column may be read in its entirety by clicking or tapping here.


Protesters against vaccine mandates often invoked Nuremberg 2.0.

Random thoughts on John Rustad, Nuremberg 2.0, and Teresa Wat’s decision to join the B.C. Conservatives
Richmond-Bridgeport Independent candidate Charlie Smith wonders how Rustad could have misunderstood “Nuremberg 2.0”, given all the publicity

This week, the anti-science leader of the B.C. Conservatives apologized for his earlier response to a question about trying public-health officials for war crimes. John Rustad expressed regret for saying he would “certainly be participating with other jurisdictions”.

This came after he was asked in an online meeting about his position on Nuremburg 2.0.

Rustad professed that he misunderstood the question.

As the Independent candidate in Richmond-Bridgeport, I am feeling skeptical. If he indeed misunderstood, then he is remarkably ignorant about a subject that has received tremendous attention in recent years.

I say this as someone who has written several articles about how opponents of mRNA vaccines have been raising a ruckus about Nuremberg-style war crime trials.

In fact, I’m currently being sued for defamation by someone who sent me a notice of liability. This notice purported that I had violated the findings of the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal through my reporting on COVID-19 vaccines.

In the past, I also received threats of lawsuits from others who opposed the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. They too claimed that I was committing grave crimes through my reporting.

A group called Action4Canada created these notices of liability. They were widely distributed to politicians, health officials, and media workers.

One of them states …

“Members of the Media who lied and misled the German People were executed, right along with Medical Doctors and Nurses who participated in medical experiments using living people as guinea pigs. Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it.”

Sometimes, the activists would gather outside TV and radio stations and distribute these notices of liability. In one of these notices that I obtained, this message appears under a photo of Nazi war criminals being hanged.

Politicians hanged in effigy

Then, there was the highly publicized rally in front of the B.C. Legislature on December 9, 2021. Provincial NDP politicians were hanged in effigy as part of the protest. This took place at an event promoted as the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials.

Just over a week later, a sandwich board sign was placed outside a Vancouver church declaring “Nuremberg Trial 2.0”. This phrase appeared above the face of Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry after she had prohibited in-person church services to stop the spread of the Omicron variant.

Earlier that year, I wrote about a COVID-19 denier who warned staff at the Castanet media outlet that they will hang for “being involved with the most corrupt hoax in history”. The man’s associate mentioned the Nuremberg trials.

I wrote another article about how a former People’s Party of Canada candidate wrote “should happen again” on social media. She did this in response to a meme declaring: “During the Nuremberg trials, even the media was prosecuted and put to death for lying to the public.”

Then, there were the mass protests at hospitals by opponents of mRNA vaccines. Outside Vancouver General Hospital, a crowd chanted “lock her up” in response to a speaker mentioning Dr. Henry by name. Health workers complained that they had trouble getting through the crowds.

“Some of these activists are eager to hold Nuremberg-like show trials for public-health officials and politicians who support vaccine passports,” I wrote at the time.

Yet Rustad claims that he misunderstood the question about Nuremberg 2.0 when he was in a Zoom meeting with people who opposed the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. This week to defuse the controversy, he insisted that it was a “distortion of history” to draw links between the crimes of the Holocaust and the mass immunization of the public against COVID-19.

A political double standard

All I can say is if Rustad did not know the meaning of Nuremberg 2.0 after playing political footsie with the people advancing this idea over the past two years, then he hasn’t really been listening to what they are saying.

I also marvel over the incredible double standard that we have in B.C. politics.

When a brown and renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon accidentally hit a “like” on a tweet mentioning a Nazi war criminal, a media and political uproar drummed him out of politics. But when a white leader of a right-wing party proclaims that he misunderstood the meaning of Nuremberg 2.0 in response to a direct question, all is forgiven.

Rustad is still in the race to become Premier.

I’m running in Richmond-Bridgeport for several reasons. One of them is so that residents have the option of voting someone who has always favoured evidence-based responses to the COVID-19 catastrophe.

Richmond-Bridgeport has many voters of Chinese ancestry. I admire how they played a leadership role in the early days of the pandemic by being among the first to wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19. Chinese community leaders were among the first to call for more testing and greater use of masks. I know this because I edited an article by two of them.

To her credit, my Conservative opponent who is seeking re-election in Richmond-Bridgeport issued stirring words at the start of the pandemic.

“I rise today to remind everyone that the coronavirus is a common enemy, one we must fight and overcome together,” Teresa Wat said in the legislature on February 12, 2020 as a B.C. Liberal MLA.

“We must also fight hard against the spread of fearmongering and stigmatization,” Wat continued. “Negative stereotypes towards any group have no place in British Columbia or in Canada. It is in times like this, more than ever, that we as Canadians have a responsibility to protect our multicultural communities and support our local businesses.”

Bravo.


Teresa Wat sided with Rustad against ex-colleagues who back mRNA vaccinations.

Wat sides with the B.C. Conservatives

But now more than four years later — after Rustad pandered to the Nuremberg 2.0 crowd — Wat decided to abandon her caucus colleagues. She did this despite B.C. United caucus members consistently supporting mRNA vaccines to fight COVID-19.

Instead, Wat threw her lot in with Rustad after already qualifying for a lucrative MLA pension if she chose not to seek reelection.

Wat became a B.C. Conservative MLA even though the party was built, in part, by leaders in the movement against mRNA vaccines. Some in this movement talk seriously about Nuremberg-style war crimes trials for public health officials, politicians, and journalists.

One of the anti-mRNA vaccine movement’s slogans has been “the media is the virus”.

Donald Trump uses the racist phrase “China virus”.

I urge the voters of Richmond-Bridgeport to keep this history in mind when they go to the polls. I will fight for the health of all voters regardless of race, ethnicity or national origin by proposing evidence-based responses to public-health issues.

It’s an obscenity against the victims of the Holocaust to liken the work of B.C. public health officials, politicians, and hardworking journalists to sadistic mass murderers who were hanged after the Second World War.


You may subscribe to Charlie Smith’s necessary and invaluable Substack by clicking or tapping here.

#BCPoli | John Rustad | A Threat to B.C.’s LGBTQ / Gender Variant Children

BC Election 2024, BC Votes 2024, Canada, canadian politics, Essay, Politics, , ,

British Columbia’s Pink Shirt Day — an anti-bullying initiative that promotes kindness, respect, and inclusivity — was adopted by then CKNW broadcaster and talk show host Christy Clark in 2007 as a worthy initiative deserving of notice.

Pink Shirt Day became something of a cause célèbre for Ms. Clark, as she sought to raise awareness of the harmful effects of bullying, all the while working towards fostering a supportive educational environment in British Columbia schools for those minority LGBTQ students who were subject to bullying and harassment.

When Ms. Clark became B.C. Premier in 2011, the Pink Shirt Day programme was institutionalized as the B.C. Liberal party sought, in particular, to ensure a ban on bullying in British Columbia schools. Arising from the success of Pink Shirt Day, and aware that bullying of LGBTQ / gender variant children, in particular enrolled in rural schools across the province was an issue of concern, in 2014 Premier Clark asked then B.C. Deputy Minister of Education Rob Wood to work on developing a programme that would protect the interests of LGBTQ and gender variant children.

Mr. Wood approached Lisa Dominato — currently a two-term Vancouver City Councillor, and former Board of Education Trustee with the Vancouver School Board — who was then in the employ of the Ministry of Education, to begin work on the creation of a programme that eventually became known as SOGI 123.

In 2016 in British Columbia, the initiative developed by Ms. Dominato — a programme called Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) 1 2 3 — was implemented in B.C.’s elementary and secondary schools, with the goal of creating safe and inclusive environments for students of all genders and sexual orientations.

The SOGI 123 programme was the first of its kind in Canada, and sought to address the health gap between sexual minority students and their heterosexual peers.

SOGI 123 is a non-mandatory resource initiative available to educators across the province, widely recognized for its success in promoting inclusion and safety for LGBTQ+ students, the programme designed to support educators in creating welcoming and safe environments for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The programme provides tools, resources, and lesson plans that foster understanding and respect for diversity in classrooms across the province.

All is well and good with British Columbia’s successful SOGI 123 programme, then?


B.C. Conservative Party leader John Rustad elucidates his antediluvian perspective on SOGI 123.

Nuh-uh, not as long as B.C. Conservative Party leader John Rustad is around.

You see, John Rustad views SOGI 123 not as an initiative to keep LGBTQ and gender variant children safe in our province. No siree, Bob, he sure doesn’t.

Rather, Mr. Rustad — the far right, Trumpian hater of things he doesn’t understand, and doesn’t want to understand — considers the SOGI 123 programme to be a threat to families with children enrolled in British Columbia’s public education system, so much so that if elected Premier, as a first order of business his government would dismantle SOGI 123, banning use of the programme from our public schools — which, as you might imagine, in time will lead to the deaths of vulnerable tween and teen students with no one and no place any longer to turn to for help.

According to the latest published reports from Statistics Canada, LGBTQ+ and gender variant youth in Canada are four times more likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBTQ+ youth, due to higher levels of stress, marginalization, and bullying that many LGBTQ+ youth experience in school, home, and social environments.

  • A 2023 Canadian study found that 33% of LGBTQ+ youth had considered suicide in the previous year, compared to 7% of non-LGBTQ+ youth;
  • Among transgender youth in Canada, nearly 50% report having seriously considered suicide, and a large percentage have attempted suicide at least once;
  • Suicide is a leading cause of death among LGBTQ+ youth, especially those between the ages of 10 and 24.

As we say above, Conservative Party of British Columbia leader John Rustad has for some years now proved to be a vocal and relentless critic of the SOGI 123 programme, his criticisms focused on claims the programme infringes on parental rights, contributing to what he views as the indoctrination of children by teachers.

  • Parental Rights: Rustad has argued that SOGI 123 undermines parental authority by introducing discussions about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools without what he considers adequate parental consent. He has suggested that parents should have more control over the content their children are exposed to in schools, particularly when it comes to sensitive topics like gender and sexuality;
  • Indoctrination of Students: Rustad has repeatedly stated that teachers are indoctrinating students through the SOGI 123 programme, by promoting ideas about gender fluidity and LGBTQ+ identities that, in his view, conflict with traditional family values. He has repeatedly made the unsupported and utterly ridiculous and ludicrous statement that he “believes” the SOGI 123 programme teaches children that their gender is fluid and that such teachings are inappropriate for schools, framing it as part of a broader ideological agenda;
  • Distribution of Pornographic Materials: Rustad and other members and candidates running for office with the B.C. Conservative Party have wrongly claimed that SOGI 123 distributes inappropriate or even pornographic materials in schools — you’d almost think you were living in Donald Trump’s America, where Rustad lies like he breathes, often and without abandon … Mr. Rustad would seem to have adopted Mr. Trump’s lyin’ “they’ll believe anything you say if you say it often enough” strategy, as the newest and seemingly effective approach to politics in British Columbia.

Rustad’s rhetoric contributes to a divisive political atmosphere in British Columbia, particularly among voters concerned with cultural and social issues.

Critics argue that his statements further marginalize LGBTQ+ students and reinforce harmful prejudices that can lead to bullying, mental health challenges, and other negative outcomes for vulnerable youth.

Rustad’s statements have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, educators, and political opponents, who argue that his views promote intolerance and undermine efforts to create safer, more inclusive environments for all students.

As a humanitarian and a caring person, you have to ask yourself: does John Rustad reflect your values and your belief in a free and inclusive society?

Or does John Rustad raise concerns with you about his fitness for office, and the attendant fear of what life in our province, and what the lives of students in our province, would be like under a John Rustad provincial administration?

Vote accordingly.