British Columbia含羞草研究社檚 election is four months away, but Premier David Eby staged a campaign event Thursday in Vancouver ahead of what he says is a personal count down 含羞草研究社� next week含羞草研究社檚 expected birth of his family含羞草研究社檚 third child.
Eby said he and his wife, Cailey, are expecting a daughter on June 27, so he wanted to make an early start to campaigning for the Oct. 19 election by introducing four New Democrat candidates before taking a break to spend some time with his family.
He said Oct. 19 is B.C.含羞草研究社檚 fixed election date and June 27 is his family含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渇ixed date baby.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淪o, some of you know what that含羞草研究社檚 a reference to,含羞草研究社� said Eby. 含羞草研究社淪o, we含羞草研究社檙e expecting a beautiful baby girl. I am taking a bit of time with the family, but these candidates are going to be out there knocking on doors out in the community.含羞草研究社�
Eby introduced four New Democrat candidates, former broadcaster Randene Neill, Baltej Dhillon, the first RCMP officer to wear a turban on duty, Indigenous leader Michael Moses and Vancouver community support advocate Sunita Dhir.
Eby含羞草研究社檚 early campaign start comes amid open battling between B.C.含羞草研究社檚 two right-of-centre parties, Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon含羞草研究社檚 BC United and John Rustad含羞草研究社檚 upstart B.C. Conservatives.
Falcon said the party has been stung recently by the loss of caucus members and candidates to Rustad含羞草研究社檚 Conservatives. But these things happen in politics, he said, citing the NDP含羞草研究社檚 loss of former elected members Selina Robinson and Adam Walker.
含羞草研究社淵es, we含羞草研究社檝e lost candidates and MLAs, too,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭his kind of thing, unfortunately happens. But when the election rolls around, the public looks around.含羞草研究社�
Chris Moore, a business leader and former District of Sechelt councillor, announced Wednesday he will no longer represent BC United in the October election in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding and will instead run as a candidate for Rustad含羞草研究社檚 Conservatives.
Former BC United MLAs Elenore Sturko and Lorne Doerkson recently crossed the floor and said they含羞草研究社檒l seek re-election as Conservatives.
Prof. David Black, a political communications expert at Greater Victoria含羞草研究社檚 Royal Roads University, said the 含羞草研究社渆xtraordinary含羞草研究社� events unfolding between the Conservatives and BC United parties has heightened public awareness about the coming election.
People usually tune out politics during the summer months, but the feuding between BC United and the Conservatives is keeping the public含羞草研究社檚 attention on the distant election, said Black.
含羞草研究社淭he structural realignment we are seeing on the right, I would argue, is bringing British Columbians, making them more attentive to an imminent election in B.C. than might otherwise be the case,含羞草研究社� Black said.
含羞草研究社淧eople are a little more aware of what含羞草研究社檚 going on, aware of a fall election because of just all the political news, with defections and remarkably candidates nominated for one party saying, 含羞草研究社業含羞草研究社檓 going to run for the other party.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
B.C.含羞草研究社檚 fixed election date law puts governments in permanent campaign mode, which is underway in B.C., he said.
The province was the first in Canada to hold a fixed election date in 2005.
含羞草研究社淕iven the machinations on the centre-right now and that we are four to five months away from an election, it stands to reason that the B.C. NDP is campaigning,含羞草研究社� Black said. 含羞草研究社淚 would argue the B.C. NDP campaign began well over a year ago.含羞草研究社�
Eby told the campaign crowd his government is making progress on health, housing and the economy and he wants that to continue.
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