David Eby hasn’t even been on the job for a year, but is already establishing himself as perhaps the most dominant figure in B.C. politics (aside from Premier John Horgan).
Eby is the attorney-general, yet his plate is filled with policies and files that extend well beyond the traditional scope of the province’s top attorney. And those files have far-reaching implications.
His recent release of a bombshell report on money-laundering operations in Lower Mainland casinos will have reverberations that could directly impact the future of both the BC NDP and the BC Liberals.
Eby must have known when he asked Peter German to conduct the investigation that the eventual findings would be explosive and cast the previous government in a horrible light.
The report effectively shredded the reputations of former key cabinet ministers and soiled the BC Liberal brand. By commissioning the report, Eby single-handedly inflicted more damage on the NDP’s archrivals than anyone could have possibly imagined just a short time ago.
If he opts to commission a public inquiry into money laundering, the BC Liberals could be on the defensive for months, if not years, to come (of course, there is no guarantee that a public inquiry would actually accomplish much; everyone involved gets a taxpayer-funded lawyer and things can grind to a halt over time).
German’s report suggested money laundering could be a major component in some of B.C.’s real estate markets. If Eby elects to delve into that area and turns up a lot of nefarious activities, the government’s balanced budget may begin to teeter.
That’s because real estate is a huge part of the B.C. economy and provides a giant chunk of revenue to government.
Eby is also in charge of the upcoming referendum on electoral reform. A switch to proportional representation would like cause the coalitions that effectively make up both the BC Liberals and the BC NDP to fall apart, or at lease rearrange themselves along different lines.
Social conservatives would likely quit the BC Liberals, and the tensions that exist between environmental activists and pro-job labour activists could cause those two groups to split.
Finally, Eby is responsible for fixing the financial mess that exists at ICBC. Our car insurance rates are likely to rise significantly, and Eby will navigate that tricky road with difficulty.
Put it all together and Eby is on his way to affecting housing prices, weakening his government’s balanced budget, determining our car insurance rates, laying the groundwork for changing the voting system, and therefore putting in doubt the fate of our two dominant political parties.
Sounds dominant to me.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC
