Adam Pankratz: David Eby’s opportunistic election comes at B.C.’s expense

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VANCOUVER — B.C. Premier David Eby called an unnecessary election on Tuesday afternoon, not even two years into his existing mandate. The premier already has a majority government and legislation dictates the next vote wasn’t to be held until October 2028.

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Eby is using Donald Trump to cover for his mistakes and noted following his meeting with the Lieutenant-Governor, to dissolve the legislature, that a core of the NDP platform would be responding to the U.S. president. Referring to Trump, Eby said “We cannot spread the fire, we need to contain it.” The first plank in his NDP platform being to “Stand up,” and “Have the courage to say no (to Trump).” He accused the opposition Conservatives of wanting to import MAGA-style politics into B.C. because they have advocated returning American booze to liquor store shelves to help secure a trade deal.

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Given the state of the province, an early election to put the current government back in power is the last thing British Columbia needs. Eby, however, could not resist the opportunity currently presented to him: the cover Trump’s trade war provides and, more importantly, a Conservative Party divided by internal strife under former leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

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Despite leading in the polls, the gamble may not pay off for Eby, as the threat of annihilation is focusing the minds of B.C. Conservatives. Respected MLA Lorne Doerkson has been appointed interim leader, encouraging those who left or were kicked out to return to caucus. Negotiations reportedly started Monday night to merge with the Centre B.C. party. Instead Peter Milobar, who was named leader of that party just days ago, and is among the MLAs who left under Findlay, is returning to the Conservatives with other defected caucus members.

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It is possible that Eby’s naked opportunism will result in a stronger mandate, but it could very well result in him being tossed out of office two years ahead of schedule.

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B.C. is in a sorry state following years of NDP mismanagement. B.C.’s projected deficit is now $13.8 billion, according to a fiscal update last week. That’s $500 million more than projected back in February. This projection comes on the heels of record deficits for the past three years: $5.9 billion in 2023, $7.3 billion in 2024 and $9.6 billion in 2025. Deficits over $10 billion are expected in the coming years, as well.

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Eby’s fiscal profligacy after he inherited a budget surplus from John Horgan in 2022 is something generations of British Columbians will be left to deal with. The province is a financial and fiscal train wreck of epic proportions and that falls squarely on David Eby’s shoulders. Sadly, that’s not all British Columbians have been subjected to during his tenure.

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Eby has also been at the helm for the province’s terrible roll-out of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which sought to align provincial laws with the United Nations declaration of the same name (UNDRIP). The UNDRIP principles are fundamentally at odds with British Columbian and Canadian law. For example, Article 26 states that, “Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use.” That is to say, if an Indigenous group claims a territory, it owns it and all its resources.

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This has caused incredible uncertainty around who actually owns what. Worse, following the notorious Interpretation Act that the NDP passed, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled UNDRIP was positive law in Canada. That is to say that all the principles of UNDRIP are now law in British Columbia, and apply to previous as well as future laws, with all the consequences that flow from that.