Rustad walks back “Nuremberg 2.0” comment as B.C. leaders enter final stretch of election campaign

Oct 7, 2024 8:06 PM - Connect Newsroom - Debby Rai with files from The Canadian Press

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The Conservative leader says in a statement on the social media platform X that he "misunderstood the question" about whether he supported "Nuremberg 2.0."(Photo: The Canadian Press)

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad is facing criticism after a video surfaced of him referencing “Nuremberg 2.0,” a conspiracy theory suggesting public health officials should face trial for pandemic-era restrictions. Rustad now says his remarks were “misunderstood” and that comparing COVID-19 measures to Nazi Germany or the Holocaust is “deeply disrespectful to the memory of those who suffered.”

The clarification came after a recording from July 2024 resurfaced, showing Rustad telling members of the B.C. Public Service Employees for Freedom group that his party would “certainly participate with other jurisdictions” in “Nuremberg 2.0.” In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Rustad said he did not support the comparison, calling it a “distortion of history.”

The controversy adds to a string of unscripted moments in the B.C. election campaign, with all major leaders - Rustad, NDP Leader David Eby, and Green Leader Sonia Furstenau - preparing for the only televised debate ahead of the October 19 election day.

In the meantime, Vancouver Police are investigating vandalism outside billionaire Chip Wilson’s $81-million home, where a sign labeling the NDP as “communist” was defaced with graffiti. The incident quickly drew attention on social media as tensions in the campaign escalate.

On the policy front, Eby outlined an education plan in Maple Ridge that includes a mental health counsellor in every school and more educational assistants from kindergarten to Grade 3, along with expanded school-based childcare. In Victoria, Furstenau promoted a “Village” model of transitional housing, citing its success in Duncan for providing small, individualized living spaces for people facing homelessness.

Over the weekend, Eby campaigned in the Okanagan, pledging loan forgiveness programs to attract more health professionals to rural communities, while Rustad promised to end tent encampments if elected.

As advance voting opens October 10–13 and October 15–16, the campaign’s final days are expected to focus on leadership credibility and party readiness - issues now brought into sharper focus by Rustad’s remarks.