PETERS: Quick switch to pocketbook issues shows how flimsy Eby’s election justification was

Everyone knew the election had nothing to do with Trump. The NDP government would have had little trouble passing any legislation necessary to fight the Orange Man’s tariffs.

Dropping the writ was all about trying to catch the opposition in a state of chaos and guarantee power for a couple more years on the back end of the term.

For David Eby, then, it must have been a nightmare scenario to see the opposition coalesce so quickly around Lorne Doerkson.

Doerkson is a well-respected MLA who seems like an easy guy to trust. He doesn’t carry any residual stench of the Conservative leadership race and subsequent Kerry-Lynne Findlay reign.

Eby tried to keep the focus on Trump for a while, but when it became clear many could see Doerkson and the Conservatives as a government-in-waiting rather than a chaotic viper’s nest of ambition and back-biting, he was forced to switched gears.

He leaned into one of his government’s few success stories over the past few years – no-fault car insurance.

Coincidentally, the shift in narrative was abrupt enough to give BC political watchers whiplash.

Since it was introduced in 2021, no-fault car insurance has been a big positive, premium-wise, for the millions of car owners in the province. Don’t ask what it has meant for the 78,000 people injured in car crashes every year.

Regardless, that math works out for the NDP – which is why he also spent time fear-mongering around the Conservatives abandoning no-fault.

Eby has also talked about grocery prices, gas gouging and health care. Doerkson has talked tax cuts, public safety and attracting investment.

Even the BC Greens, when they released their economic platform this week, made no mention of the U.S. president or tariffs.

Despite why this election was allegedly called in the first place, we may have heard the last of Donald Trump in this campaign.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: Quick switch to pocketbook issues shows how flimsy Eby’s election justification was

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