Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, discussed the possibility of a snap election in B.C. when she gave a keynote talk Thursday, Oct. 30, at the State of the Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo.

B.C. Premier David Eby has threatened to call an election if necessary to pass an energy statutes amendment act to be able to build a transmission line in Northern B.C. to power natural resource development projects.

“So when David Eby threatens to call a snap election, does he want to face off against an embattled and weakened John Rustad whose caucus management has been the equivalent of a dumpster fire? Yes, yes, he wants to do that, that’s good for David Eby. Does John Rustad … want to at least temporarily halt calls for him to resign so that he can go fight an election? Yeah, that works for him,” Kurl said. “Do British Columbians want a second election in 13 months? No, they do not.”

She said the two parties are locked in a statistical tie for support. She noted that the Conservatives have bled some support both to the new One B.C. and Centre B.C. parties, but suggested that if push were to come to shove, Centre B.C. supporters might reluctantly vote NDP.

“But let’s see – or hopefully not see – what happens,” Kurl said.

She said B.C. has some wicked problems like housing affordability and homelessness, and the province’s job numbers and economic outlook aren’t great. Whatever party is in power can do some things policy-wise “at the edges,” but a government of any stripe will get smacked with the same wicked problems.

“People just want to see their governments of the day get on with it. It’s one thing to talk about doing it, but it’s another thing to actually start to see some progress,” she said.

The Vancouver Island Economic Alliance hosted the State of the Island Economic Conference this past Tuesday through Thursday, Oct. 28-30.