The B.C. New Democrats were expecting a coronation. Instead, they got a controversy.
Shortly after B.C. Premier John Horgan announced his impending resignation, it appeared that cabinet minister David Eby would be acclaimed as his replacement. Nearly the entire NDP caucus had lined-up behind Eby and no one else had come forward.
That changed when climate activist Anjali Appadurai, who had run as a candidate for the federal NDP in the 2021 election, threw her hat in the ring. Eby’s sleepy campaign was quickly overrun by Appadurai, who had the backing of influential environmentalist groups in the province.
That backing, though, led to allegations that Appadurai was getting improper assistance by third-party groups. On Wednesday, the B.C. New Democrats decided to disqualify her from the contest, leaving Eby as the sole heir to Horgan’s throne.
Richard Zussman, politics reporter for Global News in B.C., joins me on this episode of The Writ Podcast to explain this week’s dramatic events.
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Ep. #65: The BC NDP's leadership mess