What was B.C.’s David Eby thinking by calling the maddest Canadian election ever? Full Comment podcast
- B.C. Premier David Eby called a snap election despite having a majority government with two years remaining and an unpopular record to defend.
- Political analysts discuss Eby’s strategy to capitalize on the opposition Conservatives’ internal conflict over a divisive leader.
- The Conservatives appear to be regrouping under a new, more popular leader while some prominent NDP candidates are stepping aside.
- The snap election call coincides with ongoing municipal elections, causing voter confusion and puzzling many British Columbians.
If you’ve got a majority government with two years left and an unpopular record to defend, calling a snap election might not seem like a great idea. But it did to B.C. Premier David Eby. Brian Lilley is joined by B.C. politics columnists Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun) and Les Leyne (Victoria Times-Colonist) to try to find method in Eby’s seeming madness. They consider his scheme to pounce on his rivals’ disarray, with the Conservatives at war over a divisive leader. But they seem to be quickly reconstituting themselves under a new, more popular captain, even as some star NDP candidates step aside. It’s all unfolding amid municipal elections already underway, creating confusion for voters, and leaving British Columbians baffled as to why it’s happening at all. (Recorded Sept. 25, 2026.)