theBreaker.news Podcast: Questions of leadership abound in B.C. politics

Will Premier John Horgan call an early election in 2020?

Who will become the new leader of the B.C. Greens in June?

Is Andrew Wilkinson a viable leader for the slow-to-rejuvenate BC Liberals?

[caption id="attachment_8597" align="alignright" width="188"] Dermod Travis (Voice of B.C./Shaw)[/caption]

Many questions to be answered as the young year progresses.

IntegrityBC’s Dermod Travis is the guest on this week’s edition of theBreaker.news Podcast. He thinks there is only a 30%-35% chance Horgan might go to the polls before the fixed October 2021 election date. But the fate of the B.C. Greens’ leadership contest could trigger the next election.

“[Horgan is] obviously going to be in a delicate situation if the new leader of the party is not one of the sitting MLAs,” Travis said.

With Andrew Weaver handing the reins to interim leader Adam Olsen, that leaves Sonia Furstenau. Will she run? Will she win?

Travis tells host Bob Mackin about findings of research into expense claims filed by Wilkinson, Ben Stewart and ex-speaker Linda Reid. The BC Liberals have a knack of traveling to swing ridings.

[caption id="attachment_9412" align="alignleft" width="444"] Wilkinson, Reid and Stewart (BC Leg)[/caption]

“There seems to be more often than not a direct correlation between an MLA’s travel expenses coming out of their non partisan constituency office budget and the electoral needs of the B.C. Liberal party and this is one of the things the Legislative Assembly Management Committee has to address,” Travis said.

Last year, the BC Liberals had accused the NDP of using riding offices for partisan means. 

“You can’t have it both ways.”

Plus, commentaries and headlines from the Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest. Click below to listen or go to Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Have you missed an edition of theBreaker.news Podcast? Go to the archive.

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