Eby wants to have his cake and eat it too
David Eby is attacking BC Conservatives over a leadership vacuum created in part by the timing of his own snap election, while simultaneously touting an LNG boom that puts him at odds with parts of his own political base. As the campaign unfolds, the NDP’s pivot may raise as many questions about Eby’s strategy as it does about his opponents.
NDP Pivot
David Eby’s snap election call, citing the need for a renewed mandate in the confrontation with President Donald Trump, has proven unpopular with voters. Sensing a pivot is needed, NDP election strategists raised the issue of the opposition Conservatives lacking a full-time leader.
This is an accurate criticism since the Conservative Party constitution stipulates the Interim Leader cannot run for the permanent position. So the party will not choose a new leader until after the election results are known, and the membership could elect a surprise Premier. Naturally, the NDP raises the specter of the conservative membership handing the government over to an unknown conservative figure.
There is no real answer to this concern.
It is noteworthy, however, that David Eby called this election mere days after Karrie-Lynne Findlay stepped down as Opposition Leader, giving the early writ-drop an air of self-serving opportunism. The NDP is calling attention to, and exploiting, the very situation it created.
This does nothing to counter the charge of shameless exploitation.
Although it's not explicitly forbidden to call a snap election when one's opposition is leaderless, it's not conventionally done.
The NDP is keeping the story going by threatening lawsuits to contest an election result which is still weeks away. In politics, sometimes people brag and double down rather than be ashamed.
Having Cake And Eating It Too
The other big news from the campaign trail is Premier David Eby taking credit for the massive expansion of LNG shipments abroad. This exploitation of fossil fuels partly explains Eby’s lack of popularity within his own ranks, and thus his early call for an election to protect his leadership.
Voters in BC face an inevitable task of picking a winner from this crop of MLA candidates. Perhaps the province should abandon political parties altogether and simply elect ninety-three MLAs and let them rock-paper-scissors for the premiership when they get to Victoria.
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