BC’s NDP Premier David Eby called an election this week, less than halfway through his first term. He justified it as necessary to meet the "existential moment" created by the trade war the US is waging against Canada. But make no mistake, this is a nakedly self-serving call. Eby has a one-seat majority, which is thin but doable under the current circumstances where his right and centre-right opponents are eating their own. There is really nothing stopping him from governing except the chance to expand his party’s lead and extend his own leadership.

Which is why the advantage granted him by the spectacular flameout of his arch rival Kerry-Lynne Findlay was a temptation simply too great to resist. Findlay, whose brief leadership of the BC Conservatives drove the exodus of 14 MLAs from the party, resigned on Sunday, leaving her party bruised and diminished.

A few returned to the Conservatives immediately after Findlay quit. And on Tuesday, hours after the election was called, seven of the eight former Conservative MLAs that had signed on with CentreBC, a new more moderate centre-right party, were also welcomed back. Only Elenore Sturko, CentreBC's newly appointed leader, refused, telling The Globe and Mail she could not countenance the bigoted, conspiratorial views held by some of the Conservative members. She insisted CentreBC would field many more candidates. 

Eby is banking on the chaos not settling soon enough and that no matter how much British Columbians dislike the idea of a premature trip to the polls, the........

© National Observer