Eby Calls Snap Election to Strengthen His Mandate, Successfully Strengthens Someone Else's
British Columbia's B.C. Conservatives are projected to win their first majority in nearly a century. They owe this to a man who had a perfectly good government and decided it needed more room to breathe.
Premier David Eby called the early vote on the theory that voters like being asked their opinion. Voters do like being asked. They like answering even more.
Political scientists call this a "mandate gamble." Gamblers call it "pushing your chips in on a hand you were already winning." Casino staff in Richmond reportedly watched the results with professional sympathy.
The last B.C. Conservative majority came before most provincial ridings had paved roads. Party organisers spent election night checking whether the old victory speech was still in the archives and whether anyone could read the handwriting. Several volunteers had to be reminded that winning is the part where you stop being angry.
The NDP's post-mortem has already begun, and early findings suggest the campaign was flawless in every respect except the voting. Strategists praised the polished ads, the crisp messaging and the colour-coordinated lawn signs, several of which are now available at a favourable resale price.
In fairness to Eby, he is not the first Canadian leader to call an early election out of confidence. He is just the latest to discover that confidence is not a seat count.
Asked for comment, an Eby aide said the Premier remains proud of the decision and has no regrets. He also has, as of Monday, considerably more free time to remain proud of it.