B.C. Premier David Eby made some big announcements today that will impact plenty of residents financially, and some that will impact jobs and the economy, but they weren’t about a rumoured snap election.
Not yet, anyway.
Eby spoke today at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) after much speculation that a provincial election could occur this fall.
Fortunately, for now, B.C. residents will only be gearing up for one election, the municipal elections, which will take place on Oct. 17 across the province. However, this doesn’t completely rule out an election, just that there has been no announcement made at this point. The next provincial election is officially scheduled for October 2028, but Eby has the ability to call one early.
Eby did make a big announcement for businesses and residents, saying that a planned PST expansion would be delayed until the province is clear of the Trump trade war. The expansion was previously set to take place on Oct. 1. It would’ve seen residents paying more for certain services and goods.
He also said that B.C. would not stock a single bottle of U.S. alcohol until it sees some support from the Trump administration for the forest sector.
“Delaying these changes until well after Trump’s disastrous trade war is over will give businesses some breathing room as they navigate tariffs and bans while pivoting to other markets,” Eby said in a statement.
Another big reveal from Eby was that the next generation of BC Ferries vessels will be built right here in British Columbia. Previously, it was announced that the vessels would be built in China, leading to major backlash.
Something else Eby revealed that will impact the business community is that support will be rolling out for businesses impacted by tariffs.
Eby’s address concluded without mentioning the word election.
Eby’s address comes as his approval rating has reached higher levels than it has all year. On the other side, B.C. Conservative Party Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay is facing increasing pressure from her party after ten MLAs abandoned the Conservative caucus within the span of just four or so weeks.
Strategically, it would’ve made sense for Eby to call an election.
Some recent data from Angus Reid also shows the BC NDP party with a small lead over the Conservatives. However, 51 per cent of people who responded to a recent survey from Angus Reid said they feel like a “political orphan” with no party to “enthusiastically support.”
The political landscape is very different from what it was two years ago, when Eby won by the narrowest margin against the B.C. Conservative leader at the time, John Rustad.
It took days to do a final count that determined Eby was the winner of that election; however, Rustad was in a far better position to win than Findlay currently is.
After Eby’s address, he faced a room full of reporters who, of course, asked him more questions about this unannounced election.
To each question, Eby answered the same way: that he has no plans to announce an election today. The vibe in the room, and based on some of the questions reporters were asking, it seems like a foregone conclusion that an election will be called.
The real question now is when? And how badly will it impact civic elections set to take place next month?
We likely won’t have to wait too long to find out.