Thursday March 21, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 6 pm]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC Premier David Eby is concerned about “growth of the extremist Conservative party in BC”, as he leads his NDP majority government and party followers into the next provincial election.
The election is set for October 19, 2024, with the campaign period getting officially underway on July 23.
Eby repeated for media today that — having been in politics for 10 years that so far as he’s concerned “only one poll that matters and that’s the election”. On March 18 he said “the campaign will show where we’re going to head“.
But today he added that his ‘job’ is to convince voters about the value of having the NDP continue to lead the province.
Every single day:
“British Columbians are going to see me every single day working hard to deliver for them on issues around cost of living, the public services that they depend on — including an especially health care, and making sure we have safe communities where you can build a good life for yourself and your family.”
Earlier this week he listed off health-care, housing, education and overall social stability as the top priorities for the NDP.
Today he expanded on that a bit with mentioning the economic supports that struggling British Columbians receive. Those sorts of supports would likely meet with challenge under a more right-leaning government.
Recent Angus Reid poll:
According to an Angus Reid Institute poll released on March 18, in an expected election year, 43% of respondents would presently vote NDP, 22% each back BC Conservatives and BC United.
And just over half (51%) of respondents said it’s time for a change in government… which is of course a natural response to difficult times and to any government that has been in power for a while.
And BC Mainstreet poll aggregated by Polling Canada, released today, showed NDP: 52 (-5) CON: 40 (+40) GRN: 1 (-) / seat change with 2020 Election:
Worries about conservatism:
Eby paints the Conservatives as dangerous. He says the Conservatives want to “bring unvaccinated health workers into our hospitals, even though a measles outbreak across Quebec and across Canada… measles kills and seriously injuries babies and toddlers… they are not vaccinated right away when they’re born, and they are vulnerable to measles”.
“A political party that makes ideological positions like this that puts babies and infants at risk is not one that has the best interests of British Columbians at heart, said Eby today.
“On the issue of climate change… we’re talking about the future of BC’s economy, where the world economy is going, opportunities for BC businesses to build on our clean economy advantage here, where we have an edge,” the Premier said, mentioning the availability of clean electricity in BC. In the context of drought and forest fires, Eby says BC needs to “show leadership on climate change because we have been so effected by climate change”.
The Premier said today that the Conservatives have a commitment to balance the budget in two years. If that were ever to happen it would cripple a lot of individuals, households and small businesses in their tracks, despite that Eby talked in broader strokes: “There’s only one way to do it — dramatic cuts to health care funding, dramatic cuts to education funding, dramatic cuts to the housing initiatives of this province. I just have trouble believing — but we’ll see — that this anti-science right-wing extremist perspective — will prove successful at the ballot box.”
Looking forward to the debate:
“I look forward to engaging with Mister Rustad on this far-right extremist ideas — the Republican culture-war ideology he’s trying to bring to British Columbia, because we don’t want it here,” said Eby today. “I hope British Columbians look carefully at what this man actually stands for.”
Eby now projects “it will be a lively debate through the election period”.
Of two minds:
But Eby’s own mindset seems to temper his urgency. He says he has “flagged repeatedly at the growth of the extremist Conservative party in British Columbia” but he also says “I just have trouble believing that this anti-science, right-wing with extremist perspective will prove successful at the ballot box.”
Despite the protestations, he might be underestimating the general overall angst about the struggles in BC and how that might tip people’s vote.
Compared to a previous time — only months ago — Eby is now cautioning his audience about the Conservatives: “The (recent) poll is an important reminder for anyone who has been quick to dispense the BC Conservative Party as an extremist party that will not find traction in our province. We need to take this party seriously,” said Eby today.
Eby outlined his worries about the Conservatives as the need for vaccination for ‘the next time’ (pandemic or other biological outbreak), and the Conservatives not basing their actions with a belief in climate change. Eby says the Conservatives would “undercut our growing advantage around clean tech”.
“The (recent) poll is an important reminder for anyone who has been quick to dispense the BC Conservative Party as an extremist party that will not find traction in our province. We need to take this party seriously,” said Eby today.
Skewing the SOGI debate:
Where Eby seems to already heading off the SOGI debate at the front end, saying the Conservative Party of BC is attempting to start “a culture war against teachers and librarians”, when more accurately the Conservative concern is room for parents to have full involvement in what their children are exposed to in schools regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, and more specifically that parents be looped into any decisions being made or guided as to their children’s bodies as related to puberty and gender identity.
The unspoken theme:
In a way, despite his vocal concerns about directions the BC Conservative seem to be taking in the province, Eby almost never mentions the BC United Party. That could be part of the age-old wisdom of not mentioning one’s real enemy out loud.
The BC United (formerly BC Liberals) presently hold 26 seats (about 30% of the 87 seats in the BC Legislative Assembly). Many of their MLAs will run again and will therefore be incumbents in their ridings.
By comparison, the BC Conservatives presently have only two seats — both held by MLAs who were previously with the BC United (formerly BC Liberal) Party:
- John Rustad (Nechako Lakes) was first elected in 2005 and served in Christy Clark’s government, but was ousted by the BC United Party in 2022, to sit as an independent. Then he shifted to start the BC Conservatives in February 2023 as the party leader.
- Bruce Banman (Abbotsford South) was first elected in 2020 under the BC Liberal (now BC United) banner but crossed over to the BC Conservatives in September 2023.
With two MLAs, the Conservatives of BC presently hold official party status which gives their party an opportunity for participation in Question Period in the BC Legislative Assembly.
===== RELATED:
- BC NDP election campaign to show “where we’re going to head” says Eby (March 18, 2024)
- Tough election ahead for BC NDP says Kahlon, but with positive wind in their sails (November 20, 2023)
- SOGI dispute in BC Legislature on first day of fall session (October 4, 2023)
- Gender identity in schools needs room for parental involvement (September 20, 2023)
- BC Conservatives gain official party status as Banman shifts from BC United (September 13, 2023)
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has been following BC politics through a socioeconomic lens since 2014, focussing on education and municipal issues 2014-2018, broader issues during 2018-2019, and covering the COVID pandemic daily during 2020-2022. She now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.
Her series of publications on south Vancouver Island since 2008 are in the permanent archives at the Sooke Region Museum: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), West Shore Voice News (2014-2020), and Island Social Trends (2020 to present).
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