British Columbia Minute: Issue 131

British Columbia Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of British Columbia politics.

📅 This Week In British Columbia: 📅

• Premier David Eby called a snap provincial election on September 22nd, setting voting day for October 24th, one week after the province-wide municipal elections on October 17th. Lieutenant Governor Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia agreed to dissolve the Legislature at Eby's request. Eby justified the early vote by citing what he called an "existential threat" from US President Donald Trump's administration, and pledged to support businesses and workers hit by tariffs and to keep BC's ban on US alcohol until the US strikes a fair deal for forestry workers. Interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson dismissed the call as a cheap, opportunistic political move, and Green Leader Emily Lowan described it as costly and unnecessary. Observers had cautioned that calling an election days after the Opposition lost its leader could look like taking advantage, and municipal leaders had urged Eby to wait. The dissolution also cancelled the September 26th Abbotsford-Mission by-election, where early voting was already underway and former Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay had been seeking a seat. Several NDP cabinet ministers have said they will not seek re-election.
  
  
• The provincial election call also landed just three days after the official campaign period for BC's October 17th municipal elections began. The week before, the Union of BC Municipalities convention had endorsed an emergency resolution asking the Province to wait at least four weeks before calling an election, to avoid overlapping campaigns. Prince George Councillor Cori Ramsay, who had just finished her term as the Union's president, said the call left her and other municipal candidates in "total disbelief", and warned the provincial campaign will pull media and voter attention away from local issues and risks suppressing turnout. Elections BC says nothing prevents a candidate from running in both elections, though anyone elected to both would lose their local seat once certified as an MLA. 
  
  
• The BC Conservatives say they will amend the party's constitution so that interim Leader Lorne Doerkson can remain Premier if the party wins the October 24th election. The constitution currently bars an interim leader from seeking the leadership permanently, and changing it requires a two-thirds vote of members present at an annual or special general meeting. Doerkson took over after Kerry-Lynne Findlay quit on September 20th, following a leadership that saw 13 MLAs leave the Conservative caucus in its final weeks. NDP candidate and longtime Cabinet Minister Mike Farnworth argued the Conservatives were asking voters to write a "blank cheque" to the same party members who chose Findlay as leader. Lawyer Tim Thielmann, a former research director for the Conservative caucus, said it is extremely unlikely enough members would block the change if Doerkson wins.
  
  
• The Conservatives have reabsorbed most of CentreBC, as seven of its eight MLAs, including Leader Peter Milobar, rejoined the party four days after Milobar took over CentreBC's leadership. CentreBC President Mike Wignall said the party was disappointed that Milobar and the others did not stand by their commitments, and the party said Milobar had not discussed the move with its executive. Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko was the only one to stay and became CentreBC's leader, arguing the Conservatives have been sliding toward the far right since the 2024 election. Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day also returned to the Conservatives, while Surrey South MLA Brent Chapman, who is married to former Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, left for OneBC. Wignall says CentreBC will still run as many candidates as it can in the October 24th election.
  
  
• Premier David Eby is making major projects a centrepiece of the NDP's campaign, launching a "Build BC Strong" slogan and pointing to pending investment decisions on projects worth $100 billion. Eby said a positive decision on LNG Canada's Phase 2 expansion in Kitimat would be worth $28 billion to the provincial treasury over its lifetime. The election call came just after Victoria and Ottawa gave environmental approval to FortisBC's $3.5-billion Tilbury liquefied natural gas expansion, which could create more than 1,000 construction jobs and add $1.7 billion to BC's gross domestic product if the company decides to proceed. Angus Reid Institute President Shachi Kurl said the group's polling shows 50% of British Columbians want a change in government. Kurl pointed to downgrades of the province's credit rating and signals that debt markets are concerned about its finances, and argued the government has not acted to turn this around. University of the Fraser Valley political scientist Hamish Telford cautioned that remote resource projects may do little for urban voters focused on paying the rent.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

BC's election campaign is underway, and there are new developments every day. Follow our daily election updates for the latest news on candidates, parties, polling, campaign announcements, and the issues shaping the race.

Follow along and stay up to date throughout the campaign.

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