The 2024 provincial election in British Columbia is underway!
Three leaders, BC Premier David Eby, MLA John Rustad and MLA Sonia Furstenau will be going through the province to pitch to voters why they, in the case of Rustad and Furstenau, should be the next Premier of BC for the next four years, or why Eby should get a renewed mandate.
Of course, you aren’t actually electing them, you are rather electing your MLA to represent you in the riding you live in. The party with the majority of MLAs elected to the legislature in Victoria wins the election and gets to govern for four years. Unless they get a minority in which case they have to either compromise or force an early election.
Since the writs were dropped (hey can someone please pick them up, it’s rude to drop something and just leave it there) a lot of things have happened. David Eby was the victim of a wasp attack during a campaign stop in Chilliwack. That wasp is probably dead. At least he didn’t end up swallowing a bee unlike Doug Ford in Ontario. Eby has so far done his usual things, such as touring and campaigning with little controversy - which is in sharp contrast to his rival - John Rustad.
I have profiled Rustad and the Conservatives before. I talked about their history and about how Rustad pretty much brought the party from obscurity. Now, it’s time for me to actually be critical of them.
Rustad has stated that kids will be eating bugs like Timon and Pumbaa from the Lion King. To be honest, I don’t think I want to eat actual bugs intentionally, and this statement is bizarre unless you actually believe in the theory that the World Economic Forum wants to make you live in a pod and eat bugs.
Then again, this is the same man who had compared SOGI to residential schools and who has made controversial comments on climate change. (Which led to the destruction of Kevin Falcon’s career. Maybe he’s onto something.)
Sonia Furstenau, on the other hand, has managed to be free of terrible comments and unfortunate insect stings. Here’s hoping she can win a seat. We kinda need another party here. Just make sure Falcon does not come anywhere near it.
So who do I think will win this election? First, Rustad, despite his comments, has an actual chance to form government. He has seized several problems with the NDP: their open tolerance of drug consumption, as well as the Selina Robinson debacle overall, and the fact that there are numerous out-of-control factors that are causing people to blame the government regardless of whether or not they are at fault for such, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War being one of the causes of inflation.
Eby however, could also win: Rustad's comments are rightfully considered as controversial as some of his policies, such as repealing the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, could be deemed as extreme enough that some will just plug their nose and vote for Eby. However, this race is too close to call, and I honestly do not know who will win.
So, let the campaign begin! (Seriously, can someone please pick up the writs?)
