What’s next for Premier David Eby?
That’s a question man British Columbians may be asking after Eby reversed course again Monday on suspending the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
Eby has been facing backlash since the provincial budget, released in February, revealed a massive $13.3-billion deficit, coupled with big service gaps in the health-care system.
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Political Science Professor Hamish Telford says Eby is floundering.
“I think it’s quite conceivable that he will step down,” said Telford.
“I had thought for a while his odds of being the NDP leader going into the next election were not 100 per cent, and it may be lower than 50-50 now, given all that he has gone through.”
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Telford says with just over a month to go in the spring session at the legislature, Eby will need to take time and decide what direction he wants to take.
“Part of what [Eby] needs to do this summer is to think seriously about his future,” he said.
“Is this work that he continues to want to do? Does he have the stomach for it? Does he have the desire to do it? And does he think he can be successful at it? That’s some soul searching, I think, that’s going to be required on his part.”
Outside policy moves, Telford believes there are a few things Eby could do to rebuild trust among British Columbians, including better communication and public outreach, and trying to appear relatable.
“He’s never going to have the sort of ‘folksiness’ of a Doug Ford, for example, but can he find a way to connect with families by identifying with what they’re going through?”
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Telford says it’s a difficult time for leaders to govern, with the rising cost of living and geopolitical tensions.
He adds that even if Eby steps down, a new leader would face the same challenges.