WATCH: Eby maintains BC Conservatives bowing to Trump — even as they change their tune

MAPLE RIDGE — David Eby kicked off the third day of his provincial election campaign by once again accusing his rivals, the BC Conservatives, of cowering to President Donald Trump.

The BC NDP leader argued that while the opposition has recently adopted positions on threats from the United States akin to those held by him and his party, statements made in the past by current candidates should not be forgotten.

During a press conference in east Maple Ridge on Thursday, a reporter told Eby that BC Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson was in favour of keeping American booze off our shelves — and using that as a "bargaining chip" in negotiations with the White House.

Eby, who has long cited that policy as a major differentiator between his party and the opposition, reacted by chuckling and saying, "Okay." He then drew people's attention to things said by BC Conservative MLAs in the past.

"The candidate that [Doerkson] is running right here in Maple Ridge, when we announced the booze ban, was unambiguous," Eby said. "He said we shouldn't do it. He said that it would antagonize Donald Trump. Where was [Doerkson] when Lawrence Mok said that?"

He also cited a meeting the BC Conservatives held with the US ambassador and some members' suggestion that alcohol should go back on the shelf with nothing in return.

"Every time we have stood up to Trump, every action we have taken ... the Conservatives have opposed it, and [Doerkson] said nothing," Eby added. "I don't even think he said the word 'Trump' before this election."

Eby recalled that a BC Conservative MLA had "tweeted out an image of western Canada as a protectorate of the US," suggesting the party wanted the province to become Guam. He mistakenly said it was Sheldon Clare, when it was David Williams who had made the post.

"I made a mistake earlier today that I’d like to clarify," Eby later tweeted. "I said Conservative Sheldon Clare amplified an image that shows BC as a 'US protectorate.' That was, in fact, his colleague David Williams. Sheldon Clare was the Conservative who last week said municipal representatives need 'hanging.' Apologies for the mixup."

Every example the BC NDP leader mentioned was from before the election was called — and before the BC Conservatives fell apart then put themselves back together again with a new leader.

Sitka Media asked him whether he could name anything anyone in the party had said since the writ dropped that he considered "pro-Trump."

Eby paused for a moment, then suggested the BC Conservatives were changing their tune for political expediency.

"I understand the desire to back-peddle when an election threatens the views that you've been pushing forward," he said, claiming they'd been "unapologetic about" taking it easy on Trump for two years. "I understand that they get that that's not popular right now with British Columbians ... but that's why British Columbians have to make this choice, because those are the actions of the Conservative Party for the last two years."

Eby reiterated that the aforementioned "MAGA culture war conservatives" are still in the party, and that Doerkson did not speak out against them before he became leader.

"The choice is obvious," he concluded, once again comparing the records of his party and his opponents.