Premier David Eby’s leadership will be put to a vote this weekend at the B.C. NDP’s biennial convention in Victoria.
Eby garnered overwhelming support from members at the last convention in 2023, but much has changed since then. The provincial election in October 2024 saw the NDP lose eight seats in the legislature and barely retain a majority with 47 seats. The B.C. Conservatives secured 44 seats, while the B.C. Greens kept two seats.
The NDP’s co-operation agreement with the B.C. Greens, known as the Confidence and Regulatory Governance Accord (CARGA), provides some security, but that agreement is expected to be renegotiated in the near future.
Major points of criticism this year have included the NDP ramming through legislation aimed at fast-tracking major projects, despite vocal opposition from First Nations, municipalities, and environmental advocates.
The government invoked closure to limit debate on bills 14 and 15 to push them through just before Parliament broke for the summer. Eby said the bills are needed to prevent costly, unnecessary delays on projects for schools, hospitals and transmission lines. First Nations said they represent a “backsliding” in reconciliation in British Columbia.
The government’s relationship with First Nations has been further challenged by the reaction to the B.C. Supreme Court’s August ruling in favour of the Cowichan Tribe’s Aboriginal title claim in Richmond. The province is appealing the claim, citing concerns about its implications for free simple property rights.
The leadership review also comes after a difficult round of bargaining with the union representing public service workers. Members of the B.C. General Employees Union ratified a tentative agreement on Thursday, after two months of escalating strikes and more than a week of mediation talks between the two sides.
Meanwhile, B.C. Ferries’ decision earlier in June to enlist a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build its four new major vessels drew the ire of Canadian unions and prompted questions about the state of the NDP’s relationship to the labour movement.
Meanwhile, the province is facing a mounting deficit. The last quarterly report in September predicted a shortfall of $11.6 billion this fiscal year, and deficits of more than $12 billion in the coming two years.
Speaking at an event in Esquimalt on Friday, Eby said he’s looking forward to the convention as a chance to get feedback directly from members.
“I’m certainly hopeful for a healthy majority in terms of support from the party, but I also understand that we’ve been facing big challenges in the province,” said Eby.
He said there are 400 resolutions being presented by members at this year’s convention.
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