Premier David Eby took the first steps on the tightrope Tuesday, standing in front of a legislature where he now has a scant majority with no safety net.
Conciliation and constructive co-operation were the new watchwords as he described how open he is to working with anyone who has reasonable ideas.
Incoming Opposition Leader John Rustad? Not so much.
The Conservative Party of B.C. leader committed to supporting the NDP government only on policies that align with his party’s views. He referred to Eby as a “habitual liar” again and remains intent on trying to bring the government down over any new moves with which his party disagrees.
Eby told reporters: “Our goal is to work with any MLA who wants to make sure that this place works for British Columbians.
“If you’re committed to ensuring that this province remains a place welcoming to everybody, where we fight racism and hatred, then I’m happy to work with you.”
The second clause is “non-negotiable” he added, a hint that he still has misgiving about at least one incoming Conservative MLA’s past social media posts.
Late on election night in Eby’s first assessment of the results he “absolutely acknowledged” that Rustad spoke to people’s frustration about the cost of living and public safety issues. That could be read as Eby’s interpretation of why he came so close to losing the election.
The premier reiterated that view Tuesday, saying: “Public drug use and people struggling with mental health and severe addictions on our streets are a priority for British Columbians. I heard that loud and clear.”
During the election campaign the concept of involuntary care — secure detention for people in the throes of addiction — was batted around repeatedly. Conservatives are solidly in favour of that approach. The NDP, after musing inconclusively about it for years, finally committed to adopting it at the outset of the campaign. B.C. Greens resist it. Eby tried to reach out to them, saying he heard their message as well — that we “don’t deal with [addiction] at the expense of people’s human rights and dignity. That’s a core value I share as well.”
Eby later had his first face-to-face meeting with Green Leader Sonia Furstenau since the election. He said the Green ideas about moving community health and housing services closer to the front line have merit and can be worked on.
He said the NDP “is going to need to work across the aisle on different initiatives to make sure we’re responding to the message that we heard.”
Rustad said: “Should the NDP decide they want to push forward any part of their agenda that relates to what we’re trying to achieve, they’ll find us as a partner. If they’re going to continue on with … destruction that they have wreaked upon this province with their previous seven years, they’ll find us vehemently opposed.”
Conservatives will be vigilant to make sure Eby completes the major reversal he made in promising to abandon the carbon tax on consumers if the federal requirement for one is removed.
Eby also flip-flopped on drug decriminalization, partly because of opposition pressure. It’s a track record Rustad wants to build on.
He said people don’t want another election right away, “however, when I look at the damage that has been done by David Eby, if he’s going to carry on with that path, then I would have no choice.”
An election would likely be required if the NDP lost a vote in the house on any bill or issue deemed a confidence vote.
The gulf now between the opposition and government is as wide as it has ever been in B.C. And there’s a sizeable gulf between the NDP and Greens on issues like involuntary care, the carbon tax and the LNG industry.
A confidence agreement as a backup plan will be harder to achieve now than in 2017.
The legislature will sit briefly in coming weeks and the two sides will face off in person for the first time.
Eby will have a brand new cabinet.
Comparing his new tone against his last two years as a combative premier who attacked Conservatives every chance he got, we have a whole different premier as well, for the time being.
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