Is David Eby still Premier of BC? Too often, whenever I hear him these days, Eby sounds more like a spokesman/agent for militant First Nations … not the workers/taxpayers of BC!
And … once more … the BC NDP are lining up on the WRONG side of history.
Have we already forgotten how in 2013, they … along with militant First Nations leaders… doubted/mocked/opposed former Liberal Premier Christy Clark’s enthusiasm for LNG? But then, in government, embraced it … and BC began to cash in. (Interesting reading from just this past July: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/christy-clark-takes-a-deserved-victory-lap-on-lng).
Today, the NDP, and the majority of BC First Nations, not only embrace LNG but seeks to substantially expand BC’s exports of it! They sure like the Billions of dollars it brings BC!
And then there was Site “C”.
The BC Liberals approved the project in 2014 … once again, over NDP/militant First Nations challenges/criticisms/opposition. In 2016, “Premier Christy Clark’s stated intention was to get dam construction “to the point of no return” by the time of a scheduled general election in May 2017,” says Wikipedia.
The Liberals lost that election and the new NDP government, under Premier John Horgan, now had to face reality!
“”We’ve come to a conclusion that, although Site C is not the project we would have favoured or would have started, it must be completed”, Horgan concluded, thus guaranteeing the completion of the project.”
Today, the NDP government … and most of the people in the the province … are happy to have Site “C” and the electricity it generates, and there is even growing evidence that, as AI and electric vehicle use expands, Site “C’ won’t be enough to handle BC’s needs.
And what about the TMX oil pipeline expansion from Alberta to Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet?
Once more, the NDP/militant First Nations opposed/blocked/challenged the project.
In fact, Eby (a lawyer who should have known better) wasted MILLIONS of taxpayers’ dollars to fight right up to the Supreme Court the federal government’s Constitutional power to proceed with the project … and lost.
Today, Eby supports dredging Vancouver harbour so even bigger oil tankers can plow right through Burrard Inlet to load up with more and more oil!
How ludicrous!
BC’s coastline is more than 25,000 km long … and yet, fearing that even a tiny part of those highly remote shores might one day suffer from an oil tanker accident, Eby and the NDP government think it’s safer for those same oil tankers to navigate Vancouver’s busy, crowded narrow Burrard Inlet????
It’s nuts!
Surely, the potential damage from a collision or mechanical failure of an oil tanker in an urban harbour is GREATER than a remote inlet!
And BC needs EVERY boost to its economy, jobs, royalties, and revenues it can get.
As I wrote on this Blog in early October:
“The 2025-26 Budget deficit is projected at $11.6 Billion and expected to increase to $12.6 Billion in 2027; the debt reaching $134 Billion in 2025 … UP more than 50% in two years.
Horrible!
“And BC taxpayers are paying the price: the province’s Credit Rating was recently dropped by Fitch to an AA+, with a “negative” outlook, while S&P rated BC at A+, also with a “negative” outlook. A lower rating raises debt interest costs.”
BC is in a financial mess!
It’s about time Eby and the BC NDP put the interests of the majority of people in BC FIRST and stop pandering to First Nations militants.
In fact, a poll done just weeks ago, showed 56% of British Columbians SUPPORT a northern oil pipeline (as do 59% of Canadians overall). Take a look; https://angusreid.org/pipeline-push-alberta-bc-eby-smith/.
BC should work WITH Alberta, the federal government and supportive First Nations to find the best/safest way to build a northern pipeline.
Let’s cut our dependence that forces us now to sell our oil to the US … at a discount!
Harv Oberfeld
🇨🇦🇨🇦 Buy Canadian! 🇨🇦🇨🇦
(Follow @harveyoberfeld.ca on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on this blog. )
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/eby-dripa-gitxaala-ruling-9.7005087
https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/opinion-british-columbians-will-pay-for-eby-governments-disastrous-finances-11556545
I simply cannot understand how or why the CBC receives so much taxpayer funding and yet is allowed to continue with such biased and even untrue reporting.
I have no knowledge of the workings of how a broadcast station operates but they certainly seem to have an immense staff of reporters, not to mention all the “experts” they consult to provide additional coverage.
It defies logic to me. The business world keeps trying to get lean and mean these days and yet…
(Response: Blog readers will know how I have denounced the CBC repeatedly for its bias and slanted activism in several areas: notably its one-sided anti-Israel slant in showing its response to terror attacks still happening in Gaza and the West Bank …but failing to show or downplaying videos of Islamic terrorists breaking the ceasefire by still shooting and attacking Israelis; and, also downplaying the Islamic jihadist angle in the escalating attacks, murders and kidnappings of Christians taking place in a number of Muslim African nations! Now, there’s the pipeline … which I get the distinct impression the CBC (unofficial voice of the far left wing of the NDP) opposes, because FN militants do and because the environmental activists also do. So sit back, watch the CBC pile on … see if they give a lot more air time to groups or activists (local, regional, provincial, national and even international) who oppose the pipeline than they give economists, business organizations, companies, unions or even FN who support it! Ho)
1 billion dollar makeover?
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/tristin-hopper-the-royal-b-c-museum-was-once-beautiful-wokeness-drained-it-of-all-life.
(Response: So true!!! I visited the Museum last May (used to be one of my very favorites .. a giant among museums in depicting real history) and was so disappointed: found it boring, very sterile and it felt much “smaller” than I remembered it. I was aware of the scandal over how much the Horgan government wanted to spend on replacing it, but until now didn’t realize how much damage has been done by the NDP just in the name of political correctness. Maybe, a more enlightened government, rolling in billions from a northern pipeline, will be able to return it to a first class museum again … telling BC’s exciting and colourful real history, blemishes and all. Ho)
On the front page of the Times Colonist today, the headline: “Eby stands against proposed pipeline as First Nations vow it will never happen”
https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/eby-brands-pipeline-energy-vampire-as-first-nations-vow-it-will-never-happen-11551775
So there it is… the battle lines drawn.
I find it difficult to consider voting Conservative with John Rustad remaining leader. And his hand-picked executive director of the party, Angelo Isidorou, seen here — https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/01/21/Worries-Rise-NPA-Vancouver-Extremist-Candidates-2022/ — a few years ago, wearing a MAGA hat and flashing ‘white power’ signs at a protest in Vancouver. Very difficult to vote for that.
We’ll just have to wait 3 or 4 years until the next election and hope the BC Cons have a new leader who will weed out the MAGA element. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what Mark Carney does next.
(Response: The CBC’s Power and Politics was hard at work today trying to … in my opinion … promote Eby and Coastal First Nations leaders’ opposition to a pipeline. Anyone watching the show would probably assume the project is opposed/in trouble with most British Columbians… and the Liberals will pay a high price for the decision, especially in the Lower Mainland. Yet, a new Angus Reid poll out just the day before found only 37% of British Columbians oppose the project and 53% support it … a significant increase from a decade ago. And as a resident of the Lower Mainland, I’d MUCH rather see increased oil exports to Asia go through a remote port on the north coast than through Burrard Inlet!! But, as with so much at the CBC, if First Nations militants oppose anything, they must rule! Ho)
It looks as though around 60 percent plus of Canadians support the pipeline expansion and British Columbians are also more favourable to having a pipeline than not , and that everyone has a say in this province. I hope the numbers that end up reflecting being in favour are reflected at election time to boot him from office. And between now and then we should also strongly remind him that there is only one government that gets voted into office by the people.
(Response: After the last election, when the NDP came very close to defeat. Eby seemed to be humbled and promised change. Doesn’t look like it: militant First Nations still rule the roost with the NDP (over the will of the majority of the population and even moderate native bands); the middle class is still really struggling; downtown city streets are more dangerous than ever; violent mentally ill and whacked out druggies still have almost no facilities to treat them; and, Eby and his government are fighting tooth and nail to block a pipeline that would bring in BILLIONS to attack these issues … and save Canada from almost total reliance on the US for our oil exports! So out of touch with reality! Ho)
This headline just appeared in the National Newswatch: “B.C. Conservatives say ‘professionally incapacitated’ Rustad removed as leader.”
https://nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/03/20-b-c-conservative-mlas-want-leader-john-rustads-removal-but-he-says-hes-staying
This is going to be interesting to watch. How did they manage to oust him? Will they remove the MAGA element from within the party before the next election?
It’s going to be interesting to watch…!
(Response: All over the news tonight. Lots of drama, intrigue, chaos … almost makes me wish I was working at the Legislature again! Ho)
Do not forget the Federal Liberal blockade crew, Wilkinson, Guibault and the ever irrelevant, Dame Lizzy May.
CBC also skews coverage of this scenario.
A self neutering MOU, aka, failure!
Carney’s the ringleader of this dysfunctional circus….
(Response: I expect Carney’s plan will actually help the federal NDP in the short term regain some of the votes it lost in the last election. However, in the long term I think the benefits of going ahead … investment, jobs billions and billions of dollars more each year for the federal government (BC and First Nations too) will bring in enough money to start fulfilling the financial needs we have for homeless housing, drug treatment centers, universal day care, expanded dental care … and if the Liberals can adequately explain/promote that, Carney could even achieve a majority government. Ho)
I’m very disappointed with Eby. He also seems to be afraid of upsetting natives. He isn’t the man I thought he was. In my opinion, he must go.
(Response: He certainly seems to be putting their demands/interests ahead of the rest of the people of BC! Ho)
Oops, I made a mistake with my post. Readers here know I don’t like Premier Eby. I meant to say I’m very disappointed with Mr. Rustad.
What is it about the West Coast?
It is not just the NDP who are whacked out, nut job outliers. All our political parties, and their bases, have been weird forever; NDP, BC Cons, Liberals, Social Credit, etc. and so on. Management at Translink, Hydro, Metro Vancouver, the City of Richmond are all standards of operation, synonymous with the routine and expected dysfunction, west of the Rockies.
Hell, even the Canucks have been historically unable to think clearly or make rational decisions, without spinning their wheels and wasting the paying customers’ money.
NDP membership at their recent AGM, endorsed Eby, and that’s ok, but they should have put down the bongs long enough to emphasize that approval should have been be very conditional.
It’s no wonder the rest of the country/world can’t take us seriously. We are a collective joke; all we are good for is recreation and scenery; things others can visit, enjoy, and return home laughing.
(Response: Well, having been born, educated and lived in Quebec for 24 years before moving West to Saskatchewan and then making BC my home, and also having worked for 8 years in Ottawa (Parliament Hill), let me assure you there are “whacked out” politicians and “nut jobs” everywhere. It’s only a problem when we, the people, and our media take them seriously, don’t challenge them or fail to oppose them (my favorite weapon is reality!). However, maybe in BC we have an unusually large amount of “unusual” or “extremist” political activist types with unreal positions who enjoy wide public credibility and support … more than you would ever see among, say, more somber/sober Ontario voters. Alberta has massive oil/gas resources that can literally unleash Canada from its US economic yoke: to let BC or militant First Nations activists block that is not only “nuts”, there is actually no LEGAL way they can do that. Time for BC and First Nations to work WITH Alberta and the federal government to get to “Yes”! Ho)
Great topic Harvey.
I’m going to be a bit blunt here. The more I listen to Eby the more I am convinced this is a failed leader who has no idea what he is doing. His statements seem convoluted to me, changing direction every time he speaks. The other day he went on air complaining that the premieres of Alberta and Saskatchewan were discussing pipelines between themselves. He’s either paranoid or acting like a child who feels like he is being left out of a child’s game. Good lord. Pathetic. Most of the bloggers here sound like they could run this province better than he can.
The last Canada statistics numbers indicate that First Nations people represent 5% of Canada’s population. The militant portion, the activists,(whatever that percentage that is,) looks and sounds like they want to control the rest of Canada’s land, resources, how this country is run, etc. and all the money that flows with it. It always comes down to money, doesn’t it. Power and money. Scary.
The NDP government has fallen hook line and sinker for this and we are all paying for it.When they blunder they blunder big time. It’s always measured in millions and millions.
God help us. I can’t wait for the next election. Where will our credit rating be by that time?
If I am allowed a side comment. The CBC sure seems to give them an enormous amount of air time. Pourquois?
(Response: Today, before and after the Alberta/Federal agreement was signed, I was surprised and appalled to see a number of CBC mouthpieces keep saying/questioning (lying?) claiming that a pipeline project to the coast CANNOT proceed “without First Nations consent”. That is simply NOT true! The federal government has SOLE power over pipelines: there is NO legal right of any province, any First Nations, any community group to stop a pipeline if the feds give it the green light. Now, politically that can be challenging …but every poll I’ve seen in recent months says a majority of Canadians (and even British Columbians) support a new pipeline. Eby sounds more and more like a First Nations’ spokesman rather than a BC Premier, pushing the fear that if a pipeline goes ahead, other resource developments will not. I simply don’t believe that! Perhaps he should start asking his First Nations militants where the money will come from whenever they demand more taxpayers’ money for better housing, roads, water, education facilities, health care services! Ho)
To bad Carney has stated now that Eby and First Nations rights holders have to agree to the new proposed pipeline to B.C. So, who’s obviously left out of any say in B.C.
(Response: If the federal government removes the total ban on oil tankers, allows double-hulled state of the art vessels, lifts other restrictions, moderate First Nations express support and a major proponent then comes forward … Carney won’t let the coastal militants block the billions of potential annual revenues. Ho)
I don’t know, but from what David Eby has stated the other day is that the BC government will not support the pipeline and can’t proceed without the support of First Nations, who have been saying for months they will use every tool in their toolbox to make sure a pipeline will never be built. It could also, I suppose, just be opposed by overwhelming opposition from First Nations. The president of Coastal First Nations says the tanker ban is non-negotiable also and that they will never tolerate any exemptions or carve outs, period. The president went on to say the Nations have zero interest in co-owning or benefiting from the project. So I just dont know if anything will do to change that, so not even double hulled ships or anything. will do. All of this is comes hot off the press. We’ll see. But I am concerned where the rest of British Columbians stand in all of this, or what is their say in all this. That’s the vast majority left out, if this is indeed so. That’s not good at all. Where would the democratic process be here. Maybe non-existant. Maybe a referendum should be had on such another undertaking. Maybe, just maybe most of the rest of British Columbians would oppose it. I don’t know that either, but all I see so far is this is just between Eby and First Nations and Eby not giving a shit about the democratic rights of the rest of B.C.
(Response: Eby has wasted millions of taxpayers’ dollars before challenging federal authority to carry out responsibilities specifically declared as federal in the Constitution. Eby ..BC … lost and now e wants to spend millions more to do the same thing over again? As for the First Nations … they do NOT have VETO powers over projects the federal government deems necessary for the nation’s good …no matter how much Eby and the compliant, co-opted media try to give them that VETO. Ho)
It is time to be blunt: David Eby’s NDP government’s sole purpose is to give land back to the First Nations, leaving metro Vancouver/Fraser Valley as an enclave of some sort.
The NDP have absolutely no plan for the province of BC, except caving in to the First Nations.
The Cowichan decision has sent chills up the spines of not only house/land owners, but business interest as well.
Eby’s NDP are spending over $16 billion to extend the the Expo and Millennium Lines a mere 21.7 km. There isn’t money for this of course, so Eby goes cap in hand to the feds.
We are supposed to get a new tunnel replacing the perfectly good Massey Tunnel, but there is a lack of funding for this so the project creeps along. Again Eby goes cap in hand to the feds for more money.
(Please Note: No a bridge would not have been built by now as the costs were estimates only and not the full program. The bridge option would have cost more than the tunnel)
Metro Vancouver is out of control, squandering money it doesn’t have funding all sorts of “feel good” projects but the core water, waste, and sewerage concerns are all but ignored due to massive incompetence, resulting in equally massive cost overruns. Again, they go cap in hand to the Feds for more money.
More of the same at TransLink, where the new minister continues to blunder along doing little, except photo-ops. The same song, cap in hand for more money from the feds.
Municipal governments are also out of control spending wise as civic politcans and bureacrats play with the taxpayer’s dollars like free money. It is tiresome but again they go cap in hand to the feds for more money.
Eby and the NDP have done nothing, zip, nada to encourage thrift!
NEWS FLASH: The Trump tariff/trade war is a real war and soon will become generational. Canada needs to export oil to get the cash to pay for our heath dental care, military, and much more.
The Vancouver west side armchair socialists, with their well heeled government incomes and pensions had better think 20 minutes into the future because if we don’t get income from exports, Canada will get income from your incomes from higher taxes and more.
Canada resides in a new universe as the easy days of old are gone, our relationship with the USA is gone and anyone standing in the way of much needed exports is, well I better not go there or i will be banned.
It’s time for Eby to retire as his Vision(less) Vancouver Provincial NDP brand is getting more than stale.
(Response: BC has been snookered by the militant First Nations activists … and it could end up costing EVERY BC property owner (and tenant) dearly! It all seemed so innocent … expressing land acknowledgments at hockey games etc … bending over backwards to voice support for “reconciliation” and, then in 2019, BC became the first Canadian province to LEGALLY adopt as law the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights. That opened a whole can of worms, because while we were mesmerized by celebratory dances and drumming … FN militants and their lawyers became busy filing legal briefs … accelerating their land claims, demanding and getting millions (billions) in compensation for all kinds of “wrongs” … real and imagined … and some even interpreting the “duty to consult” as giving them VETO rights on developments/resource projects and anything else that they perceive violates their indigenous sensitivities! In fact, the BC NDP government almost enshrined FN veto rights in legislation … just before the last provincial election!!! At some point, governments are going to have to take a stand to protect the rest of the population’s rights … and since the BC NDP sure hasn’t done a good job of it, the federal government should! Ho)
Eby won election first time by Horgans free port Mann bridge tolls
Then after 2 debt downgrades later ?
Eby won second time by free carbon tax on fuel.
Your tax dollars hard at work.
https://www.debtclock.ca/provincial-debtclocks/british-columbia/british-columbia-s-debt/
(Response: BC’s economy was in bad shape before Trump started his tariff war; now, it’s under even more pressure … so Eby/NDP should see a new oil pipeline and substantially increased exports as an opportunity to grow …and reduce our reliance on the US. Ho)
Actually Eby won the last election because Rustad’s Maple MAGA types were just to weird for the electorate. If the BC Conservatives did not have climate change deniers, antiscience/anti-vax and just plain loony nutters running, they would have won.
I disagree. The Conservatives lost the last election because John Rustad didn’t run a great campaign, and the NDP also had the advantage of a friendly media and lots of financial resources. The NDP also managed to convince many voters that the Conservatives were religious extremists who were intolerant of minorities and were going to make many cuts to social services. It wasn’t really about the climate or vaccination.
I just have to add, former premier Campbell was a pre Trump, Trumpian sort of politician, which tenure in this province was to strictly enrich politcal friends and insiders.
Campbell has done great damage to this province, especially in the ‘Hurtlands” and why Falcon crashed and burned, with the BC Liberal Party.
The NDP, as always, blunder along creating far more havoc, than not.
The last election was barely won by the NDP simply because Eby was seen as a “2” and Rustad was a “1” in the eyes of the electorate.
Personally, I felt both leaders and politcal parties were unfit for office and what I presently see, I was correct.
Apologies, if I hurt anyone’s politcal feelings.
Its all so frustrating and upsetting along with the non-ending billions of payouts by way of shakedowns, blackmail that the government lets themselves fall pray to because of a complete lack of backbone and worse with their so warped politically correct activist version of progessivism and what I call, Ebyism. Lots and lots of bucks unaccounted for to along with all those backroom secretive deals. Man I hope the general public and Majority wake up more to kickmout these pathetic bums and road blockers of real intelligent rational progress for all.
(Response: Eby and his Ministers seem to be under the impression First Nations have VETO powers over provincial and federal governments. NOT!!! There is no community that has that power: not the original founding British or French, not the European or Asian immigrants who came after …and not the indigenous peoples either. NONE of them … and although Supreme Court rulings have established the province and federal governments have a DUTY to consult, there is NO DUTY to allow any group to VETO! Ho)
Eby and his cabal of cowardly ministers seems to think otherwise. They have no respect for the vast majority of British Columbians yet these useless a.holes making a living like parasites off our taxes.
Correct! And this is from an old lefty.
Eby’s NDP should be renamed as Vision(less) Vancouver Provincial.
Let’s not forget about Nutrien’s plan to export potash from the port of Longview on the Columbia River in Washington. They will be spending a billion dollars developing a terminal for the potash. They cited railway bottlenecks, the port of Vancouver, and regulatory concerns as the reasons for the decision. Saskatchewan-based Nutrien Ltd. is the world’s largest potash producer and potash is one of Canada’s natural advantages.
Perhaps between oil, potash, other exports and cost of living in Vancouver we should be developing a new port on the coast or upgrading the rail and pipeline routes to Prince Rupert to expand their port capacity.
(Response: Just the idea of moving Saskatchewan potash to world markets through a US port, instead of BC, should be a wake up call to Eby/BC NDP … they are failing British Columbians in creating conditions that make exporting through BC desirable. Ho)
Why would any company invest in BC given Eby and NDP governments willingness to approve any aboriginal land claims?
(Response: That’s a contributing reason, despite world needs, no companies have lately shown any interest in Canada’s oil. However, there are also federal restrictions on tanker traffic. I expect the latter will soon be loosened, so the big obstacle will remain BC …which, ironically, has become America’s best ally to keeps monopolizing most of Canada’s oil, at a huge discount! Ho)
The NDP, comprised of far left, financially illiterate social workers, whose main talent is virtue signaling and pandering to every cause under the sun except for fiscal responsibility, the rule of law, and the 5 million inhabitants who aren’t first nations. (Many of whom probably would welcome the benefits) The only thing helping this hapless Government is the opposition who apparently prefer shooting themselves in the foot. Eby is no Horgan, whose pragmatism probably had him more as a traditional Liberal in the federal sense.
If what is happening across the country is any indication, the NDP will be eradicated next election if the center right can emerge.
(Response: The good news there are MANY of BC’s First Nations that recognize resources sales/exports hold the key to improving their people’s incomes/living conditions/prosperity. It’s about time the NDP break its habit of favouring/caving in to the activist minorities who oppose pipelines … but keep demanding more free housing for their reserves, better roads, improved quality water services, increasing funding for remote school facilities and higher level local health services/facilities. Ho)