IN his first address as Premier-designate of BC, David Eby on Friday offered a vision of British Columbia where he said we protect the most important parts of this province, our people, our services, and our environment, while working to make it an even better place to live.
“During this campaign, I have met so many incredible people from across the province. Everywhere I go I hear that while our government has accomplished a lot, there’s much more we need to do because so many people are truly struggling.” Eby said. “The cost of housing, the strain on healthcare, and the impacts of climate change on our communities — we must confront the big challenges people are facing.”
In his first hundred days as premier, Eby committed to launching initiatives to significantly expand available and affordable housing, create safer communities, redirect fossil fuel subsidies to clean energy, and improve access to healthcare. These actions will require meaningful partnerships with First Nations, municipal and regional partners as well as non-profits, service providers, and homebuilders.
“We need to keep moving forward to build a healthy province where everyone has a good place to live,” Eby said. “But Kevin Falcon and the BC Liberals want to take us backwards by welcoming speculators into our housing market, giving handouts to big money donors, and ripping up BC’s climate plan. We’ll be paying those tolls for generations.”
Eby added: “So much of our province’s success depends on people having an affordable place to call home. Our economy depends on providing housing for the people who make our province run and deliver essential services such as healthcare in rural communities. With the impacts of climate change arriving at our doorstep, our homes can be part of the solution, and need to be protected from fires, floods and drought.”
Eby now begins transitioning into government, where he will receive in-depth briefings from all ministries on the pressing issues facing British Columbians, ahead of his swearing in as premier in the coming weeks.
PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday congratulated Eby on becoming the Leader of the BC NDP and the next premier of British Columbia.
He said: “I look forward to working with Mr. Eby and the Government of British Columbia to make life more affordable and build a better future for everyone in the province.
“We will remain focused on delivering results for British Columbians – including making child care more affordable and accessible for families, driving economic growth that benefits everyone, creating good middle class jobs, building more housing, and taking climate action.
“I thank Premier John Horgan for his service to British Columbia and to Canada, particularly for his leadership on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and helping people during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
