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Ebycrats by Arthur McInnis

Sept 28, 2025

There is a Comment in the Times Colonist today by Gene Miller entitled:
“Victoria OCP: a triumph of political authority over community.”

Victoria OCP a triumph of political authority over community – Victoria Times Colonist

Gene is a renaissance man who founded Open Space in Victoria in the 1970s, an arts
collective as well as Monday magazine. He has been a going concern and vocal
critic of high-rise development and the loss of human-scale design for decades.
His latest critique of the Mayor and Council, equal parts humorous and
scathing, used a telling description of them – Ebycrats. Intrigued by it I took a
closer look and here is what I found.

That is, in City Hall, a distinctive pattern emerges when examining the
backgrounds and connections of the current Mayor and several Councillors.
Their professional trajectories, policy positions, and personal networks reveal
notable ties to BC’s tallest landlord NDP Premier David Eby – hence “Ebycrats”.

The NDP Network: Victoria’s Municipal-Provincial Nexus.

Victoria’s current municipal leadership displays significant alignment with NDP
networks (plural), raising questions about the degree of partisan influence in
what non-partisan municipal positions are ostensibly.

Mayor Marianne Alto: Family Ties to NDP Government

Mayor Alto’s connections to the provincial NDP are perhaps most evident
through her spouse, Allison Boyd, who currently serves as a Deputy Minister in
the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. This direct family
connection to the NDP government’s senior executive ranks establishes a clear
link between the Mayor’s office and the provincial power structure.

Alto was also previously speculated as a potential federal NDP candidate when
MP Denise Savoie retired in 2012, though she declined to pursue this
opportunity. Her policy positions on housing, infrastructure, and social services
closely mirror NDP priorities, suggesting ideological alignment beyond mere
coincidence.

Councillor Dave Thompson: Married to NDP MLA

Councillor Dave Thompson’s NDP connections are equally significant. His
spouse is Diane Gibson, the NDP MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. This direct
matrimonial connection to an NDP elected official creates an unmistakable link
between Council chambers and the NDP caucus.

Thompson’s background includes work with the Parkland Institute alongside
Gibson before relocating to Victoria. He currently sits on the Advisory Council of
the Centre for Civic Governance/Columbia Institute which is a progressive think
tank with close ties to labour and NDP-aligned policy positions. Thompson’s
2022 campaign too received endorsements from the Victoria Labour Council
and BCGEU, organisations historically aligned with NDP priorities, although the
current strike is not likely among them!

Councillors with Provincial Government Experience

Several Councillors bring direct experience from within the provincial
government:

Jeremy Caradonna worked as a “senior policymaker for the Province of British
Columbia” focused on climate and green building both key NDP policy areas.
His public commentary on provincial elections and policy positions on
progressive issues like housing and climate action suggest comfortable
alignment with NDP priorities.

Matt Dell has served in multiple roles within the BC government, including as
Director of Legislation in the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training
now under NDP control and continues to serve as a provincial government
employee. His position as Director would have required close collaboration with
NDP ministers and political staff.

Labour Movement Endorsements

The 2022 municipal election saw several successful candidates receive
endorsements from the Victoria Labour Council, effectively running on a labour-
backed slate:

Susan Kim received Victoria Labour Council endorsement and participates in
the Centre for Civic Governance Advisory Council, a progressive municipal policy
initiative historically supported by unions and ideologically adjacent to NDP
positions. Kim shares this membership with Thompson.

Krista Loughton also received Victoria Labour Council endorsement, placing
her within the pro-worker/progressive alignment network typically associated
with NDP interests. Her advocacy on housing, homelessness, and social services
mirrors NDP platform priorities.

In sum the Victoria Labour Council endorsed Kim, Dell, Loughton, and
Thompson. The BCGEU endorsed Alto, Kim, Dell, Loughton, Thompson and
Caradonna and Ben Isitt. Only Isitt was defeated, and which shows in one way
the strength of the union endorsement.

The “Ebycrats” Factor

While municipal governance in BC is officially non-partisan, the concentration of
Councillors and the Mayor with direct or indirect connections to the NDP
creates what some observers have termed the “Ebycrats” phenomenon, namely
municipal officials whose backgrounds, networks, and policy positions align
closely with Premier David Eby’s provincial government.

The problem is this is not how it is supposed to be. The alignment raises
important questions about municipal independence and the degree to which
provincial party politics influence local decision-making. As Victoria faces critical
challenges in housing, transportation, and social services, this opaque
intertwined relationship between city leadership and the provincial governing
party is strangling transparent debate and decision-making in Victoria. It has to
be called out for what it is and answered.