By Canadian Press

David Eby resists early vote in B.C. despite big byelection wins for NDP

Jun 26, 2023 | 3:06 PM

VANCOUVER — Premier David Eby says he has no interest in calling an early election in British Columbia, despite resounding victories for NDP candidates in a pair of byelections over the weekend.

Eby says although his party’s candidates did “exceptionally well” on Saturday in the ridings of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca on Vancouver Island, he’ll stick with the fixed election date in October 2024.

The NDP’s Joan Phillip secured Vancouver-Mount Pleasant with 68 per cent of the vote, while Ravi Parmar was elected with 53 per cent in Langford-Juan de Fuca, former premier John Horgan’s old riding. 

Opposition BC United candidates struggled, finishing fourth on Vancouver Island with just nine per cent of the vote, and a distant second in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, with 13.7 per cent.

The Conservative Party of B.C. claimed second place in Langford-Juan de Fuca with 20 per cent of the vote, prompting leader John Rustad to declare that the party is ready to “pick up the mantle of the centre-right coalition.”

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Eby cites health care, housing, addictions, homelessness and cost of living as ongoing issues that need addressing, rather than launching an early election campaign.

“I’m not interested in an early election. We won’t be calling an early election. We’re gonna go to the fixed-date election,” Eby said at an unrelated news conference on Monday.

Saturday’s byelections represented the first test for BC United under its new name, after switching from the B.C. Liberals.

The standings in the 87-seat B.C. legislature will be: NDP at 57; BC United with 27; Green Party at two; with one Independent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2023.

The Canadian Press