Premier David Eby marked the last day of the last legislative session before B.C.害羞草研究所檚 provincial election to informally kick-off his government害羞草研究所檚 re-election campaign.

As NDP MLAs and staffers listened from the back of the government caucus room, Eby used the occasion to warn of what he called a 害羞草研究所渕arriage of convenience害羞草研究所� between B.C. United under Kevin Falcon and the Conservative Party of B.C. under John Rustad brokered by 害羞草研究所渄owntown lobbyists working for the wealthiest British Columbians.害羞草研究所�

Eby even appeared to deliberately misplace the names of the respective party leaders, calling them John Falcon and Kevin Rustad.

害羞草研究所淭he next election will be decided at the kitchen table, not at the boardroom table,害羞草研究所� he said.

Eby appeared to test out several lines, when he talked about Damon Scrase, the provincial Conservatives害羞草研究所� candidate for Courtenay-Comox.

In a social media post dating back to May 2, 2022 and first unearthed by radio host Jas Johal, Scrase said the 害羞草研究所渕ost feverishly defended 害羞草研究所榬ight害羞草研究所� in this country is the right to kill babies. You will never see a Canadian get more animated by any other issue. It害羞草研究所檚 a bizarre, sclerotic death worshipping society.害羞草研究所�

Eby then contrasted Falcon害羞草研究所檚 statements on abortion with his willingness to find common ground with the Conservatives.

害羞草研究所淚n response to this (Scrase害羞草研究所檚 comments), Kevin Falcon said he害羞草研究所檒l always support a woman害羞草研究所檚 right to choose and then in the next breath, said he looked forward to opening negotiations, to working with those same B.C. Conservatives,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淣ew Democrats will never compromise a woman害羞草研究所檚 right to choose,害羞草研究所� he added.

Eby害羞草研究所檚 speech happened against the backdrop of discussions between B.C. United and the Conservative Party of B.C. and Falcon said during his last media availability that he cannot do a 害羞草研究所渕erger害羞草研究所� with Conservatives because of their candidates.

害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 merge with a party that has candidates that equate vaccinations with Nazism and Apartheid,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淥r candidates that say getting a vaccine shot is going to turn you into a magnet.害羞草研究所�

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But Falcon did not rule out some future forms of corporation to avoid vote-splitting, without specifying them when asked about them, including a scenario whereby the two parties would not run candidates against each other in selective ridings.

害羞草研究所淎s I have said, I害羞草研究所檓 not going to negotiate in public, but what I will say, there (are) all kinds of options out there,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou have mentioned a couple (scenarios), but really at the end of the day, it has to come down to whether there is a spirit of willingness among (the party leaders) to sit down and see whether there害羞草研究所檚 common ground to be able to engage in that kind of discussion.害羞草研究所�

Falcon acknowledged that time for finding an agreement is tight, but re-affirmed his commitment that he 害羞草研究所渨ould be open to doing whatever is the right thing to do害羞草研究所� to bring the free-enterprise coalition together to defeat the NDP.

Rustad said the job of any party leader is to make the tent bigger.

害羞草研究所�(We) are certainly open to having conversations with anybody who wants to join the party to help to do that,害羞草研究所� Rustad said. He also rejected suggestions that his party has limited appeal to provincial voters who would for the federal Liberals. 害羞草研究所淲e are running people from across the political spectrum because it is not about being Conservative or Liberal or NDP or Green,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 about standing up for what害羞草研究所檚 right and fighting for the everyday person in this province.害羞草研究所�

Rustad also re-affirmed his party害羞草研究所檚 intention to run 93 candidates with him leading the party into the next provincial election.

British Columbians are looking for change, he said.

害羞草研究所淓by knows he has got scandals, he has all kinds of problems, he has flip-flopped on issues,害羞草研究所� Rustad said. 害羞草研究所淗e is sinking in the polls and he害羞草研究所檚 desperate.害羞草研究所�