The Tyee’s Rafe Mair recently commented on the possibility that strong economic performance in B.C. could help the NDP in next year’s election.

Mair looked at the government’s boasts of healthy provincial revenues and predicted the Liberals will try to bribe the voters with that money.

Fat provincial coffers, however, might help the New Democrats, Mair argues. Often, he notes, “in bad times the people look to the right and in good times to the left.”

It would be ironic if voters respond to the government’s self-professed economic prowess by deciding to take a gamble on an NDP government.

But there would be an irony if things go the other way, too. Imagine if this carbon-emissions-fighting Liberal government ends up getting re-elected on the strength of tax cuts financed by, um, oil and gas royalties.

Tom Barrett is a contributing editor with The Tyee.