Does it really matter if voters are unhappy about the upcoming snap election in British Columbia?
asserted
voters → matter → Columbia
Yes, it certainly will not help Premier David Eby, who triggered an early contest on Sunday.
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who → help → Sunday
But irritated voters will not be enough for the BC Conservatives to form government.
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Conservatives → form → government
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Eby is bringing voters to the polls early on Oct. 24, well before the fixed election date in 2028.
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Eby → bring → 2028
His reasoning is that the province needs a strong majority government to deal with President Donald Trump.
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province → need → Trump
If early reactions are any indicator, few are buying it.
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few → buy → it
People can see right through this rice-paper-thin cover for an opportunistic contest.
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People → see → contest
However, recent snap elections that were equally opportunistic did not end in disaster for the incumbents.
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that → end → incumbents
People may dislike being swept up in an unnecessary early campaign, but that is different from deciding which party will govern.
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party → dislike → campaign
According to Angus Reid at the time, 78 per cent of respondents thought that the early election served Ford’s interests, rather than Ontario’s, including 58 per cent of those who planned to vote for his Progressive Conservative government.
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who → accord → government
Ford went on to secure another majority mandate.
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Ford → go → mandate
Evidently, Ontario voters could hold their noses and look past a dirty trick.
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voters → hold → trick
By contrast, when Justin Trudeau called an early federal election in 2021, Abacus Data found that 34 per cent of previous Liberal voters said they were less likely to vote Liberal again because of it.
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they → call → it
Trudeau still retained his minority government but failed in his bid to secure a parliamentary majority, despite very favourable pre-election polling.
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Trudeau → retain → polling
The composition of the House of Commons itself remained largely unchanged when the contest was over.
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contest → remain → Commons
Irritated voters in B.C. are not automatically rebellious, though half of them believe it is time for a change in government.
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it → believe → government
The survey that produced that finding was conducted just before the B.C. Conservatives collapsed, then rebuilt and re-energized themselves on the fly.
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Conservatives → produce → fly
When David Eby began to signal that he was going to call an early election, the (in)famous Kerry-Lynne Findlay was still heading the B.C. Conservatives.
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Findlay → begin → Conservatives
The long list of controversies that plagued her four-month tenure is already the stuff of legend.
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that → plague → legend
One pollster put Findlay’s approval rating at just 17 per cent.
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pollster → put → cent
That number probably fuelled Eby’s lust for an early contest to secure another four years as premier and avoid being replaced as NDP leader.
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number → fuel → leader
Her relatively unknown successor, Lorne Doerkson, the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, leading the Conservatives into the election.
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successor → lead → election
Former rebel MLA Peter Milobar and six other MLAs who jumped ship under Findlay have since returned to the fold.
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who → jump → fold
Doerkson himself wasted no time explicitly condemning Donald Trump.
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Doerkson → waste → Trump
If he keeps that up, the NDP’s hopes of using an anti-Trump strategy could be dashed.
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hopes → keep → strategy
Within 48 hours, the Conservatives had gone from a crumbling husk to an eager and feisty challenger.
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Conservatives → go → challenger
They wasted no time calling out David Eby for his selfish early election call, as they should.
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they → waste → call
If the Conservatives’ opening salvo is any indication, they plan on mounting a full-scale campaign against the NDP where it is weakest.
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it → plan → NDP
In a public statement, the Conservatives promised action on affordability, the security of private property rights and public safety.
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Conservatives → promise → rights
Importantly, the Conservatives have made it clear that they will fight this campaign over the government’s record rather than dwell on the rescheduling of the election.
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they → make → election
The B.C. Conservatives do not need to turn the campaign into a policy seminar.
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Conservatives → need → seminar
They should keep their promises simple, readable and easy for voters to memorize.
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voters → keep → promises
In 2006, Stephen Harper kept his campaign tight and disciplined, focusing on cleaning up government, cutting taxes, tackling crime and supporting parents.
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Harper → keep → parents
B.C. voters are tired and want a reliable and trustworthy challenger who can replace Eby.
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who → want → Eby
Furthermore, the Conservatives have pledged to restore pride in being British Columbian.
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Conservatives → pledge → pride
A stroll through almost any publicly funded institution will reveal some form of ritual humiliation in which British Columbians are accused of being “settlers” (a pejorative in progressive circles) and of being complicit in “colonialism” (another dirty word on the left).
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Columbians → fund → left
People want to feel hopeful about the future and good about who they are.
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they → want → future
Eby wanted to run against Trump, using Kerry-Lynne Findlay as a surrogate.
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Eby → want → surrogate
With her gone, he will have to pray for a stumble or misstep from the B.C. Conservatives, who now smell blood in the water.
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who → go → water
Still, the election will fall right in the American midterms, when the Canadian addiction to U.S. politics will be at its most severe, which may yet have an effect.
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which → fall → effect
…and 6 more, not listed.
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