Eby source of conflict commissioner complaint

VICTORIA — B.C.’s Opposition Liberals are asking the conflict commissioner to rule whether Attorney General David Eby is in a conflict of interest for trying to reform recall campaigns while a campaign is being organized against him in his own riding.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson wrote to to independent conflict commissioner Paul Fraser Thursday to ask him to rule on Eby’s situation.

Eby introduced legislation this week to ban corporate and union donations from recall campaigns. However, a group called “Recall David Eby” has been organizing in his riding of Vancouver-Point Grey over anger at an additional school tax on homes valued at more than $3 million.

“The government has chosen to introduce Bill 53 mere days before the existing act allows for members of the 41st parliament to become subject to recall campaigns,” Wilkinson wrote in his letter to Fraser.

“In fact, there are published reports indicating that several members of the assembly, including the member for Vancouver-Point Grey, will be targeted for recall by voters within their constituencies.”

Wilkinson asked Fraser two questions: Does Eby’s participation in debating and voting on the recall legislation constitute a conflict of interest when he’s aware of a recall campaign targeting him and would he be in a conflict after an actual recall campaign formally began?

Premier John Horgan defended Eby Thursday, arguing no actual formal recall campaigns have begun and describing the complaint as “groundless.” He also accused the Liberals of wanting to keep big money in politics.

Recall campaigns cannot officially start until 18 months after an election, meaning formal recall action could begin after Nov. 9 for the current crop of MLAs elected on May 9, 2017.

Three MLAs are currently being targeted by organized pre-recall efforts: Langley East Liberal MLA Rich Coleman, Abbotsford South Independent MLA and Speaker Darryl Plecas and Eby.

In an interview with Postmedia News last week, Eby said the timing of the legislation was designed to land before recall campaigns could officially begin. And he mentioned his own potential recall campaign, noting he doesn’t want to be in a situation where supporters fundraise to defend him by accepting the kind of donations from unions and corporations he has fought to eliminate.

“So there is a challenge for me in terms of introducing the bill facing a recall, but the challenge is that having a bunch of big-money donations flow into my own constituency to support me while I’m in government, after having banned big money, is a really untenable situation for me,” Eby said.