Terry Burton is a retired veteran of Alberta’s oil and heavy construction industry and a former member of the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.When a government abandons honour, principles, values, ethics, and integrity, it is important to examine the underlying causes of that moral and institutional failure. One can postulate that Eby calling an early election is an example of such failures.An increasing number of British Columbians are saying, “the early election call is clearly opportunistic and will be, and should be, seen as a disingenuous attempt by Eby and his government to hoodwink the public as to the real reason behind this unnecessary election.”Many British Columbians have also concluded that the reasoning provided for calling the election is fraught with disinformation, manipulation, and, some say, “it represents deceit on steroids.”Some British Columbians also said it reminds them of the proverbial snake oil salesman who isn’t to be trusted. Calling this early election is akin to selling counterfeit or worthless reasoning whilst using false, exaggerated promises to lay the foundation for British Columbians to be cheated and conned once again by their government.To be crystal clear, Eby wasn’t at risk of losing his government, and there is no dastardly threat on the horizon, nor a critical emergency. However, and sadly, the early election is just another example of cynical, unprincipled politicians enthusiastically placing the interests of everyday British Columbians at the back of the line.Sadly, it is a classic case of manipulation and calculated deceit, where predatory tactics and manufactured hype are used to exploit the vulnerabilities of unsuspecting voters.Yes, British Columbians have been given an election they did not need to have, and many don't want — at least not yet.Premier David Eby has asked the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the legislature, and British Columbians will vote on October 24. The decision comes less than two years into Eby’s current mandate, and roughly two years before the next scheduled provincial election..Eby’s government decision to call an election wasn’t necessary and is an egregious display of opportunism wrapped in a mantle of deception, deceit, and mistruths.In essence, there is nothing about this election call that doesn’t smack of political opportunism, sadly, at the expense of British Columbians.That raises a straightforward question: why now?Eby says the answer is the extraordinary threat posed by the United States, President Donald Trump’s trade policies, and what he describes as an existential moment for British Columbia and Canada. His argument is that the province needs a government with a fresh mandate to confront those circumstances.That is a political argument. It is not, however, an explanation that ends the discussion.The timing is impossible to ignore.The election was called as the BC Conservative opposition was experiencing extraordinary internal turmoil, including the resignation of its leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, only days before Eby’s announcement. Several MLAs who had left or been expelled from the Conservative caucus had just returned, while another MLA subsequently announced his departure for OneBC.Those facts do not prove that Eby called the election to exploit Conservative disarray. But neither should British Columbians be expected to pretend that the political circumstances were irrelevant. One would need to be living in isolation not to see the obvious and egregious connection..This is precisely where the Premier owes the public a compelling explanation.An early election is not cost-free. Elections require public administration, election workers, facilities, communications, transportation, and substantial organizational resources. Although the exact numbers are not available at this juncture, it is estimated that the direct cost to the British Columbian taxpayers is between $90 and $100 million.Also, elections impose costs beyond the government's direct expenditures: employers must accommodate employees who vote, businesses must deal with disrupted schedules, volunteers devote time to campaigns, and citizens face the practical demands of participating in another province-wide political contest.And this election arrives immediately beside another major democratic exercise. British Columbia's municipal elections are scheduled for October 17, only one week before the provincial vote. Local government leaders had reportedly urged against overlapping the campaigns. However, their concerns and pleas were ignored.There is another consideration that should concern voters.If an early election is called when a government is not facing defeat in the legislature, the public is entitled to ask whether the extraordinary circumstances cited by the Premier genuinely require an immediate mandate — or whether the political calendar simply happens to be advantageous.Political scientists quoted following the announcement have identified this tension precisely..Michael MacKenzie of Vancouver Island University said the timing departed from established political norms, including calling for an election while an opposition party was in disarray. Jason Morris of the University of Northern British Columbia similarly identified incumbency and opposition turmoil as advantages for the NDP, while noting that the government would need to explain why the election was necessary “beyond political opportunism.”That is the question that should follow this campaign from its opening day to its conclusion.Not whether British Columbians should be concerned about Trump. They should judge that issue for themselves.Not whether trade, housing, healthcare, affordability, public finances, or indigenous and land-rights questions deserve attention. They plainly do.The question is simpler: why did British Columbians have to vote now?Eby was legally entitled to seek an early election. The issue is not legality. The issue is political judgment, public accountability, and respect for the electorate's time and resources.A government seeking an early mandate should have to make more than a compelling campaign speech. It should make a compelling case for why the election could not wait.British Columbians can decide whether Eby's explanation meets that test.But they should not allow the urgency of the campaign to obscure the question that existed before the campaign began.Why, for millions of British Columbians, was this election necessary now?Terry Burton is a retired veteran of Alberta’s oil and heavy construction industry and a former member of the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.
