By Dominic Abassi

NDP’s Malcolmson holds Nanaimo seat in crucial provincial byelection

Jan 30, 2019 | 9:11 PM

NANAIMO — The governing New Democrats can breathe a sigh of relief after Sheila Malcolmson held on to the party’s Nanaimo seat in a byelection critical to the future of B.C.’s minority government.

With all 111 ballot boxes reporting, the former NDP MP held a nearly 2,000 vote lead over Tony Harris of the BC Liberals by late Wednesday night.

Malcolmson and Premier John Horgan took to the stage around 10 p.m. to deliver a victory speech to a raucous crowd at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.

“This is a victory for Nanaimo,” Malcolmson told the several hundred people in attendance. “I am so honoured to have served with Leonard Krog and I’m honoured to carry his work on. With him as mayor and Nanaimo’s new council, we are going to generate positive results for people right here.”

Initial results gave Harris an early lead over Malcolmson, but once the NDP surged out in front it did not look back. The victory marks the fifth consecutive election the party has won in the Nanaimo riding since 2001, having only lost in the hub city twice since 1963.

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Ahead of the much-hyped byelection, discussion centred around the potential for a Liberal win to unseat the minority government and force an early provincial election. But by holding Nanaimo, the NDP remained at 41 seats in the legislature, ahead of the 42 held by the BC Liberals thanks to the support of the three Green MLAs.

Wednesday’s vote was needed after longtime MLA Krog stepped down to successfully pursue the mayor’s seat. Malcolmson then resigned from her post as Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP to take a run at the provincial riding. It remains to be seen if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will call a federal byelection to fill her spot in the House of Commons, or simply wait until October’s federal election.

Speaking with reporters afterwards, Malcolmson said she felt incredible support from her team and the voters while out campaigning. Despite that, she noted the pressure of the situation was present.

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“Of course I was worried. I would be a terrible candidate if I wasn’t.”

Malcolmson gave a very campaign-style answer when asked how her party will work to address Nanaimo’s seemingly rampant crime problem, as well as issues surrounding two supportive housing sites and ongoing social disorder.

“Nanaimo has had hard times. A lot of neglect. A big homeless population and not enough affordable housing built,” she said.

“We’re looking towards a better future…With a new city council, we are going to be able to have the zoning and public consultation process in place and the opportunity to build the wraparound services that are needed.”

While the Liberals saw a nearly eight per cent spike in their vote total compared to 2017, the BC Green Party saw their support fall off significantly. As of late Wednesday, Michele Ney had seven per cent of the vote, a far cry from the 19 per cent support the party received in the Nanaimo riding in 2017.

Horgan said despite the apparent two-party race, the Greens remain an important player.

“Certainly the three Green caucus members have been working with us and we’ve been delivering for people…I’m confident our relationship will continue to be as it has been: rocky some days but at the end of the day we focus on what’s best for people,” Horgan said.

Horgan said he did not believe a strong showing from the Liberals was related to unpopular issues like the speculation tax and supportive housing problems.

“If I was to believe the headlines about the speculation tax, I might feel that way. But I know the public is fine with the speculation tax…With respect to other challenges, this happens every day for governments.”

The premier answered flatly “not today” when asked if he was planning a cabinet shuffle to make room for Malcolmson.

Speaking at his campaign headquarters after congratulating Malcolmson on her victory, Harris said he will continue to hold the government accountable.

“I hope all parties take it as a notice of how they can really open the hood and understand what this community is all about and what they need to do here to move us forward,” Harris said.

Opposition Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson said his party’s showing in the byelection can be chalked up to Harris’s name in the community and the party’s strong brand.

“(Tony) is dedicated to the idea of enterprise, fairness, opportunity and making this a better place, whether it’s Nanaimo or British Columbia for everyone. That’s exactly what the BC Liberals stand for.”

Preliminary results:

Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP: 10,538 (49.22%) (2017: 46.5%)

Tony Harris, BC Liberals: 8,665 (40.47%) (2017: 32.5%)

Michele Ney, BC Green Party: 1,579 (7.38%) (2017: 19.9%)

Justin Greenwood, BC Conservatives: 442 (2.06%)

Robin Richardson, VanIsle Province Party: 100 (.47%)

Bill Walker, BC Libertarians: 86 (.40%) (2017:1%)

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi

— With files from Ian Holmes and Spencer Sterritt