EDITORIAL: Has David Eby done a David Peterson?

B.C.'s NDP Premier calling a snap election costing up to $80 million isn't sitting well with many voters

Published Sep 26, 2026  •  2 minute read

David Eby has called a snap election in British Columbia. Photo by Scott McAlpine /UBCM

By calling a snap election for Oct. 24, B.C. Premier David Eby is trying to recreate the success of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

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But he may end up with the political disaster another Ontario premier, David Peterson, caused when, like Eby, he called an early election with no convincing reason to do so.

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Like B.C.’s NDP Premier, Peterson decided to go to the polls early in 1990, his Liberals having won a majority government in 1987.

That decision turned into a historic political blunder as the Liberals were defeated by Bob Rae – then leader of the Ontario NDP – who won a majority government.

Peterson lost his seat and resigned on election night.

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David Eby mimicking Doug Ford

Eby is trying to mimic Ford, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Premier.

Ford won a third consecutive majority government last year by calling an early election and making Donald Trump the ballot question.

Ford said he needed a stronger mandate than the 83 seats in the 124-seat legislature he won in 2022 to fight Trump and won, although his seat count actually went down.

Like Ford, Eby wants to make Trump the ballot question. But he may have made himself that question.

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Eby called the B.C. election last week, two days after Conservative party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned following months of turmoil within the party since her narrow victory in the leadership race in May.

Since then, there has been a wave of internal defections within the party, including some defectors forming their own party.

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Election call has reunited the Conservatives

But Eby’s opportunistic election call has reunited the Conservatives under interim leader Lorne Doerkson, who accepted the job while returning from a vacation in Africa.

An early poll by Angus Reid Institute found the Conservatives now have an eight-point lead on the NDP, a 12-point turnaround from the NDP having a four-point lead less than two weeks ago.

Eby, calling a snap election costing up to $80 million, when the NDP has been in power for nine years and its current majority government had two more years to run, isn’t sitting well with many voters.

Especially so given the massive run-up in the provincial debt under Eby.

While it’s early days in the election, Eby must be wondering if he just lit an exploding cigar.

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