NDP Leader David Eby Friday questioned a decision by Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad to forego a televised leader's debate on Vancouver Island.

"I am willing to do a debate with John Rustad," he said. ''I want to talk about your issues."

Rustad said during an appearance in Surrey that it does not make sense to have two back-to-back leaders debate. The debate in question was organized by the Victoria television station CHEK, and scheduled for Oct.9, one day after the main televised debate organized by a consortium of broadcasters, of which CHEK is not part. 

Eby made these comments in the Greater Victoria community of Oak Bay, the final stop of a campaign tour on Vancouver Island that had started Thursday evening in Nanaimo. He also made stops in Cumberland, Parksville, and North Cowichan. Local NDP candidates Diane Gibson, Nina Krieger, Grace Lore, Ravi Parmar, Sarah Riddell and Darlene Rotchford joined him. 

So did close to 200-plus supporters, who also had a chance to watch Eby try his hands at cricket during the stop which lasted an estimated 10 minutes. He also used the occasion to urge supporters to knock on doors. 

Eby was not the only voice questioning Rustad's decision to back out of the CHEK debate. B.C. Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau said in a statement that Rustad's decision show that he鈥檚 not interested in being held accountable for his party's policies. 

鈥淚f Rustad can鈥檛 show up to debates he committed to, how can he be trusted to address B.C鈥檚 biggest challenges?" she said. 鈥淟eaders should stand up for their vision for B.C, and for the policies they are proposing," she added. 

Eby's Friday afternoon appearance follows an announcement about fast-tracking pre-manufactured homes and the release of the Conservatives' housing policy in Surrey by Rustad. 

The plan promises to speed up construction by establishing deadlines: six months for a rezoning and development permit, and three months for a building permit. The provincial government will issue permits if city halls cannot meet those deadlines. The plan also calls for pre-zoning and measures promising to cut construction costs and delays.

While the Conservatives had previously announced a rebate and plans to eliminate parts of the NDP's recently passed housing legislation, their proposal calls for revised version of government's transit-oriented housing legislation. It also includes the idea of building new homes on land  outside the Agricultural Land Reserve with the "potential to support beautiful new communities."

Ravi Kahlon, NDP candidate for Delta North and housing ministe prior to the dropping of writ, personally attended Rustad's conference and later issued a statement  in which he criticized the plan. 鈥淩ustad鈥檚 plan will make housing more expensive, not less," Kahlon said. "John Rustad is a risk people can鈥檛 afford.鈥� 

Friday's campaign day had a familiar pattern. It started in the morning hours with the B.C. NDP releasing a series of tweets from Conservative candidates. The party says the tweets show that "several of (Rustad's) candidates are openly pushing two pro-Trump conspiracy theories" around who bore responsibility for the storm of the United States Capitol Building on Jan 6, 2021 and who won the 2020 presidential election in the United States. 

Conservatives have in the past dismissed such reveals as attempts by the B.C. NDP to distract from its record. 

Black Press Media has reached out to Rustad for comment.