B.C. premier's decision to call election came down to Trump chaos and Conservative disorder

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsPolitics B.C. premier's decision to call election came down to Trump chaos and Conservative disorder Premier David Eby made the call to plunge the province into a snap election on the back of a trade war and opposition implosion Author of the article: By Alec Lazenby Published Sep 22, 2026 5 minute read Join the conversation B.C. Premier David Eby holds a news conference outside Government House in Victoria on Sept. 22 after asking Lieutenant-Governor Wendy Cocchia to dissolve Parliament in favour of a provincial election. PHOTO BY DARREN STONE /Victoria Times Colonist Article content Preparations for a snap election call began in earnest two weeks ago as U.S. President Trump became a focal point once again for British Columbians, and the B.C. Conservatives continued to come apart at the seams, according to multiple sources within the NDP. Article content On Tuesday, at Government House, B.C. Premier David Eby repeatedly cited Trump and the uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs as the rationale for plunging headlong into a provincial election campaign, with voting day on Oct. 24, while downplaying the role the Tories played into his thinking. Article content Article content Article content “Donald Trump is attacking our workers. He’s targeting our businesses, and he is threatening our sovereignty. He’s threatening our ability to make decisions for ourselves. We buy from him, but the direction was set. This is exactly what Trump wants. He wants to weaken us. He wants to divide us. He wants to drive up our costs and put our businesses and our workers at risk,” said Eby. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Asked about the ethics of calling an election amid the municipal elections, set to conclude Oct. 17, and the resignation of B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Eby simply said: “There is never a bad time to go to British Columbians to ask the right direction.” Article content An election style rally held by Eby at Victoria’s Inner Harbour on Sept. 8 was the first public indication that the province could soon be heading back to the polls, less than two years since the 2024 race returned Eby to the…