How Did We Get Here?

What happens when a government calls a snap election two years early — and the opposition is still trying to figure out who it is?

This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward are joined by Nikki Hill, co-host of the Left East to West podcast, to break down David Eby’s surprise election call, the collapse and reconstruction of the B.C. Conservatives, and why British Columbians are heading back to the polls on October 24.

First: how did we get here? From the razor-thin 2024 result and the folding of B.C. United, to repeated Conservative leadership turmoil and a caucus that has struggled to hold itself together, Nikki walks through the political chain reaction that brought B.C. to another election.

Then: why now? The panel looks at Eby’s argument for a fresh mandate amid a one-seat majority, the trade war, forestry, major projects, housing, healthcare and affordability — and whether voters will see the election as necessary or simply opportunistic.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: what does a truly snap election look like on the ground? Candidate recruitment, campaign managers, swing seats, resource triage, municipal-election overlap, and what organizers actually do when they suddenly have just over a month to build a campaign.

A snap election, a fractured right, a one-seat majority, and 32 days to figure out what comes next.

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Guest: Nikki Hill — co-host of Left East to West https://www.youtube.com/@LeftEasttoWest https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/left-east-to-west/id1870368396

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