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2026 Snap Election Call by David Eby - Why?

Why did Premier David Eby call a BC election 2 years early, at a cost of approximately $100 million to taxpayers? Probably because:

The BC Conservative Party was in disarray, with no leader
He had to call it prior to the US midterm elections on November 3rd. If the US results favour the Democrats, leaving Trump in less of a position of power, Eby could no longer use an anti-Trump platform.
Confusion would be caused because the election day of October 24th is one week after BC municipal elections. Municipalities had urged Eby not to call an election at this time.

Fiscal Mismanagement

BC's debt has gone from $90 billion to $155 billion in 4 years under David Eby, and is forecast to reach $235 billion by 2029. See BC Provincial Debt.
BC's debt went from $66 billion to $155 billion in 9 years under NDP.
Eby stated on September 28, 2026 "We've got to end wasteful spending". The question is, why is there wasteful spending under his watch?

Increased Taxes

Personal income tax has been increased:
- The lowest personal tax rate was increased for 2026
- The income tax system will not be indexed from 2027 to 2030. This effectively results in a tax increase in each year.
An expansion of PST was announced, but just recently deferred, likely in anticipation of the election.
September 25, 2026 announcement for the introduction of:
- new tax on unsold condos
- increase to the speculation and vacancy tax. This tax has affected many BC residents who live in their homes full time.
October 4, 2026 BC NDP Election Policy announcement: Increased tax rates for the 4% of British Columbians who already pay 35% to 40% (based on 2019 to 2023 Statistics Canada information) of the total personal income tax collected by BC annually. Many of these people are the entrepreneurs who build BC businesses and employ thousands of people, and are most able to modify their behaviour to reduce taxable income.
- Increase rates from 16.8% to 18.8% for $190,405 to $265,545
- Increase rates from 20.5% to 22.5% for $265,545 to $1 million
- New tax bracket @24.5% for taxable income over $1 million
- This will result in the highest top marginal tax rate in Canada, at 57.5%
  - As Kim G C Moody and Canada's Parliamentary Budgetary Officer point out, these are the people who are most likely to be able to change their behaviour, or leave the province, to reduce their taxable income. This would include the physicians and specialists (surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, etc) BC needs so badly.
  - This will also result in the highest marginal tax rate in the world except for Denmark, where married couples have double the income threshold of individuals.

DRIPA

DRIPA, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, was passed in 2019 with David Eby as Attorney General. In 2021 the Interpretation Act (Bill 29) was updated so that every provincial act and regulation must be interpreted to be consistent with the Declaration.

Eby stated many times that DRIPA would not affect private property rights.
BC Supreme Court decisions indicate that DRIPA will affect private property rights.
- In Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490, the court found that "Aboriginal title is a prior and senior right to land."
  - See Aboriginal Title Supersedes Fee Simple: Landmark Ruling in Cowichan Tribes v Canada Creates Significant Uncertainty for Private Landowners in BC
Eby announced he would suspend portions of DRIPA, also that he would make the suspension vote a confidence vote, meaning his government could fall if the motion didn't pass. When First Nations condemned the plan he cancelled the plan for a confidence vote. According to the April 2026 Richmond News article Rob Shaw: Eby takes his sixth position on DRIPA after weekend backpedalling, Eby's government "will no longer proceed with introducing changes to DRIPA this legislative session, as it had repeatedly promised."

Tax Tip: The NDP Government should not be re-elected!