Somewhere in the ballpark of $50 million has poured into the Central Okanagan this month from the provincial government.

Funding of various projects being announced just weeks before the writ is dropped on a new provincial election isn害羞草研究所檛 a surprise.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a well worn practice in Canadian politics, in all provincial and federal elections, going back to confederation,害羞草研究所� said Hamish Telford, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Budgets, both federal and provincial, seem to even be shaped around it.

Telford said that one of the criticisms of the federal budget that was released Wednesday was that it would do very little in the short term, but the taps would turn on right before the 2019 election.

The last provincial budget was also a lot less cautious than it could have been, likely reflective of the upcoming election.

害羞草研究所淛ust before we go to the polls, we害羞草研究所檙e running the biggest surplus in years and are able to put money into things they have resisted steadfastly for four years,害羞草研究所� said Telford.

害羞草研究所淭his was deliberately planned. If (the finance minister) had his druthers he would have put it into debt reduction, but others in the party likely put pressure on him.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 a strategy that pays off at times, said Telford, but it also can backfire.

害羞草研究所淧eople feel they are being bribed with their own money,害羞草研究所� he said.

He also pointed out that the voter should view these announcements with a jaundiced eye.

害羞草研究所淥ne of the newer practices is to repeat announcements,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey hold a photo op and a press conference and announce they will spend x-many dollars and it害羞草研究所檚 already been announced in the past.害羞草研究所�

Despite these practices highlighting less than forthright tendencies of governments, Telford said he thinks it害羞草研究所檚 unlikely the province is heading into a 害羞草研究所渃hange election.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淰ery often you get that sense that the electorate is fed up with the government and believe it害羞草研究所檚 time for a change,害羞草研究所� he said.

That feeling was palpable in the lead up to the 2013 election. The BC Liberals were 20 points behind and mired in scandal, said Telford. Then as the campaign got underway in earnest the leader of the BC NDP, Adrian Dix floundered, Premier Christy Clark shone and she won the election.

Right now, however, the BC Liberals seem popular and the Greens and NDP are both doing fine.

That the two left leaning parties are in that position may be the most telling of what害羞草研究所檚 to come.

害羞草研究所淭he NDP has only won when the centre right has been divided into two parties,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淩ight now the Liberals are united. Where we are seeing fracturing is on the centre left with the Greens and NDP 害羞草研究所� If the Greens start to tank, it害羞草研究所檚 a sign that the electorate is taking the NDP seriously.害羞草研究所�