B.C. Premier David Eby is scheduled to address the province early Tuesday afternoon, where he’s expected to call a snap election. Eby will be speaking at Government House—the office and residence of Lt.-Gov. Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia in Victoria—at 12:15 p.m., according to a media advisory issued by the B.C. NDP hours ahead of the event. The advisory only indicates the premier “will deliver an address” at that time. Before sending voters back to the polls, Eby would have to meet with the lieutenant governor and advise her to dissolve the legislature. An election called Tuesday would result in a voting day of Saturday, Oct. 24, one week after the provincewide municipal elections are held on Oct. 17, according to Elections B.C. Advance voting would be held Oct. 16 to 21. Hamish Telford, a political scientist with the University of the Fraser Valley, said Eby risks being seen as a political opportunist seizing on the ongoing turmoil and infighting among the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, which bled caucus members for weeks over the summer. The optics could be even worse calling an election days after the resignation of former Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Telford added. “There’s long been a sort of a gentlemen’s understanding or agreement in Canadian politics that you don’t call an election when the official opposition party is without a leader,” Telford told CTV News on Monday. “I think that would strike a lot of people as dirty pool.” This is a developing story and will be updated.
