After Nearly a Century, B.C. Turns Blue
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00:43Standard messaging and data rates may apply.All right, well, they got a winner in British Columbia.But for some reason, I keep thinking about the loser.The guy who would still be premier today for the next two years, were it not for one of the mostdumbfoundingly dumb tactics and strategies in Canadian political history.To talk about the BC election, we're joined by our good friend Chris Chapin, political commentatorand managing principle of upstream strategy.Chris, welcome.
01:16Always a pleasure to join you, Ben.So we knew within about 24 hours that Chris Eby knew within about 24 hours that he had set everyone down a path he really didn'twant to be walking anymore.Yeah, I mean, it really did have that feel, Ben,throughout the entire campaign.David E.B.Couldn't find his footing from day one.On the launch of that campaign,
01:44the BC NDP went out at David EB talking about Donald Trump.And, I mean, you nailed it.For many listeners, you know, might not realize.He still had two years left in a sizable majority that he could have continued togovern the province of British Columbia.and instead, you know, made a, I suppose, calculated.I'm not sure how calculated it was, but a calculated decision.It was a cynical decision.
02:06Incredibly cynical.And the reality was that was what it was met with at the doors in British Columbia.And I just got back early this morning from being out there, given the BC Conservatives a hand.And going door to door and riding in Surrey in Vancouver, you just, you heard the same thing.It was time to send David E.A message that this was just not acceptable.you know, I think most people forget that he had become really unpopular.I mean, there was, there were some serious problems that the BZ conservatives faced out of
02:36their leadership race. You know, Carrie Lynn Finley couldn't even hold on for for a couplemonths, just the lack of unity in the party. But eventually they landed on, you know,kind of a journeyman in Lauren. The accidental premier.The accidental, the designated survivor out of that party. Yeah. But who put forward,you know, some strong leadership positions. You know,their campaign slogan was strong leadership for serious times.And I think it was just quite the juxtaposition against David Eby, who, you know,it was the exact opposite of leadership.
03:06It was, I just want my power extended and I cannot give you a reason why.Yeah, it felt from the jump that this was something that was happening to David Eby,when in point of fact, he orchestrated it.And it really shows you how quickly he lost control of the narrative.He could not get it back.He was constantly being asked about the decision itself to, to trigger the election.He looked defeated.He looked exhausted.
03:36He looked weak.He looked depressed.He did not look strong.He did.And I'm not trying to be me.He didn't look healthy either.He did not look like he was full of, you know, as my dad would say, piss and vinegar, right?He looked like a guy who'd been punched in the gut and couldn't get off of the mat.
03:54and the results, I mean, I was expecting, I was expecting a conservative win.I was not expecting the numbers to swing as significantly as they did.No, you know, Ben, it was interesting.I kind of had a similar view as you, and when I got out on the ground there late last week,it was pretty clear, pretty quickly that the conservatives had something special going on.There was an energy, you know, you know, when you know, on a campaign,there was an energy.Some of the younger guys out there volunteering and helping run the campaign would say the vibes were
04:30high on the conservative campaign.And then it didn't take a rocket scientist of a political analyst to look at, you know,the press conference after press conference of David Eby, and to your point, he just looked defeated.And he looked defeated for the last week or two of the campaign.I mean, he never really looked inspired from the day he launched the campaign.I think it looked like somebody who had perhaps been talked into this by his.senior leadership team that this was a good idea.And he went along with it.
04:57Yeah.I mean, ultimately now he could have been governing for two more years.And he's, you know, he's out of the job of Premier.I suspect he's likely to resign.I mean, he barely held on to his seat.Yeah, he said he's resigning as leader.Yeah, you're right.I don't know if he's going to resign his seat, but that's going to cost.
05:13That'll be another cost to the taxpayer.But this, I remember, I was listening to the CBC.And somebody on the CBC was cautioning,against, you know, Mark Carney may want to have a David Eby in power because he's got greatrelationships with First Nations and that's what you need as you're trying to build a pipelineto the West Coast.That seems like, again, a half-baked analysis.What's your take on it?
05:47Because when I've talked to Mr. Dersen, he has talked about engaging with First Nationswith respect as our partners.Those are words.I don't know what that means yet.Obviously, we don't know what it means.He hasn't been in a position to sit across the table from First Nations.But it doesn't seem to me like David Eby was the end-all be-all as it relates to being able to get First Nations in West Coast to buy into these major projects.No, I completely agree.
06:21I'd actually thought the opposite.I think the best thing, and I know I caught a little bit of the Premierdesignates remarks yesterday and was in the room for his speech on Saturday night.And he spoke often and openly about the importance of continuing the relationshipswith the First Nations in British Columbia.And, you know, he kept using the word prosperity.Yeah.That I'd argue Premier Eby did everything he could to stand in the way of those pipelines
06:48getting built that would create, you know, resource revenue for,for not just the First Nations, but all of British Columbia.And I think, you know, if you're talking about Mark Carney, the interesting challenges,there will be no opponent to any resource development in British Columbia now within the BC government.You know, it is going to be open season for getting pipelines and resources to market off the West Coast.And so I think, if anything, the prime minister might find themselves in a bit of a challenging time moving forward,navigating some of his Eastern caucus who I think remain opposed.to some resource extraction in Western Canada.
07:24You know, that was one thing I know I had a brief chance to speak to thePremier Designant and he was very excited that he'd already spoken to Premier Moe and PremierSmith.Yeah.And that they are ready to have a unified Western pact across.That's a hell of a block.That's a blue block right there.That's really interesting.
07:40All the way to the coast.So if you've got resources in Saskatchew on our Alberta, I think you're pretty happy withthe election result knowing that for the first time and over, you know, almost a decade,just under a decade, there's nobody opposing you in British Columbia.If anything, they're going to openly welcome that.And hopefully the prime minister stays true to his word on that, that we see, you know,we don't see backtracking out Ottawa now that there's a blue wave in British Columbia.Yeah, no, this is, this is, look, maybe this is how it's supposed to work.
08:10Red and Ottawa, blue everywhere else.It's a decent looking map if you're a conservative at the provincial level across the country right now.That's for sure.I think seven of the governments are all conservative.And, you know, a significant new ascendant conservative party in Quebec.Absolutely.Are there any lessons from BC and from Quebec that the federal conservatives may want to glean?Well, I think, Ben, if you're going to take a lesson for British Columbia, it's that tone matters.
08:44You know, that was, that truly was it, you know, there was dislike towards David E.B., but I think you saw the campaign,the senior serious toneLauren Dirkson and that campaign team put out.It was not controversial policy ideas.It was just getting back to the basics.And I know I heard it on the doorsteps.That's what people wanted to hear.They want just a strong, serious vision for British Columbia.
09:09And I think that should be a lesson learned for the conservatives in Ottawa,is that that's what the electorate wants.They want a big coalition.You know, you see it in Ontario.You see it.You see it now, Bernie, now you see it in BC.People don't need something that, you know,they're not looking for a purity test.
09:26They're looking for serious leadership.All right, Chris Schepen.Thank you so much, my friend.I appreciate it.Anytime, Ben.Hi, it's Alan Cross.Here to announce two more legs of my national speaking tour.November will be busy with stops in Halifax, Sydney and Truro Nova Scotia.
09:39Then it's Waterloo, Hamilton, St. Catharines, London,Oscew, Montreal, Ottawa, and Kingston.In addition to the regular free-willing audience Q&A,I'm going to conduct a live performance of my podcast,Uncharted Crime and Mayhem in the music industry.Music and the mob. It's something that we created just for this tour. Tickets at my website,a journal of Musicalthings.com, under the heading speaking gigs at the top. But hurry,because some dates are already sold out. Crime and Mayhem and the music industry on the road this fall.
10:02Hope to see you soon.
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