“We’re open to working with other MLAs, including from the Conservatives, as long as they meet our ‘bright-line test’ around the kind of province that we want.”
––David Eby
Premier David Eby says he will use his new, diminished, one-seat majority government to reach out to rural British Columbia, an area that largely rejected his party in the election. But, he says, he’ll only be speaking to those he deems hold acceptable views, part of a new “bright-line” that will limit his cooperation.
“When I reflect on the division between urban and rural areas, I can’t help but think that one of the big issues was people’s expectation that we do better on health care,” Eby told CBC Radio this week.
“We had, and continue to have, a serious issue with the closure of hospital emergency rooms that people depend on. And it’s certainly not unique to us in B.C., but what people do expect and what I need to deliver for people, is results on that, along with ensuring that we’re recognizing the contributions of rural resource workers in the province as well and building up that part of the economy.”
“We had, and continue to have, a serious issue with the closure of hospital emergency rooms that people depend on.”
David Eby
The persistent, widespread closure of healthcare centres and hospital ERs has been a crisis in the Interior, North and Southeast for more than two years. Some communities have suffered dozens of curtailments, due to a shortage of nurses or doctors. Unlike in Metro Vancouver, where there are multiple facilities, a hospital closure in rural B.C. can force residents to drive hours to the next ER, sometimes in serious medical distress.
In Merritt, the Nicola Valley ER was temporarily closed more than 16 times this year, and the mayor has attempted to bill the B.C. government for more than $100,000 in healthcare services paid for but not received by local taxpayers.
‘Big tensions’ around reconciliation, admits Premier
The NDP lost two rural cabinet ministers in the election, Lands Minister Nathan Cullen in Bulkley Valley-Stikine, and parliamentary secretary for rural development Roly Russell in Boundary-Similkameen.
Cullen in particular was hit with a backlash over the NDP government’s Indigenous reconciliation efforts, including cancelled changes to the Land Act, new land title agreements in areas like Haida Gwaii, and a dock management plan on the Sunshine Coast, all of which caused concern over the impacts on private property, land tenure and natural resource development.
“I know that there are big tensions around reconciliation and the important work we’ve got to do with Indigenous people and our resource economy,” said Eby.
“And we’ll make sure that that’s a key focus for us because that division is a real concern for me.”
NDP ‘doubling down’ on status quo, says Rustad
BC Conservative leader John Rustad, whose party secured 44 seats and dominated rural communities, said the NDP will likely just be “doubling down on what they’re doing” based on their status-quo election platform.
“So did David Eby just lie all the way through his platform in the election and now he’s going to do something different? We’ll see what he does,” Rustad told CKNW this week.
“Did David Eby just lie all the way through his platform in the election and now he’s going to do something different?”
John Rustad
“But I can tell you we’re going to put a tremendous amount of pressure on him, especially when it comes to rural health care and keeping our emergency rooms open. I think that’s been a complete failure of the NDP.”
Eby compiling list of legislators he won’t work with
Eby in several interviews and press conferences has left the door open to working with Conservative MLAs in large swaths of the parts of the province where the NDP has no representatives.
But he’s also several times now drawn what he calls a “bright-line” on people he’s unwilling to deal with whatsoever.
“So we’re just in those discussions right now,” Eby said. “We’ve been meeting with the Greens. So we’re open to working with other MLAs, including from the Conservatives, as long as they meet our bright-line test around the kind of province that we want and we’ll find a path forward.”
It’s not entirely clear what candidates fall under the NDP leader’s “bright-line test” though he has specifically mentioned Surrey South MLA-elect Brent Chapman, who in a 2015 social media post uncovered during the election, referred to Muslims as “little inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs.”
“I have to tell you, accepting a Speaker put forward by John Rustad…. This is a man who sent us Brent Chapman as a candidate, a hateful man promoting hate and racism in our province,” said Eby.
“We have a very bright-line around that, and it’s a non-starter for us. As a province, we need to work together to be successful. We need to fight hate and racism every day. So there are definitely restrictions on our willingness to work with the Conservative Party.”
“We have a very bright-line around that, and it’s a non-starter for us.”
David Eby
Eby has also referenced “open racism from Conservative candidates, open homophobia, anti-Muslim sentiment, anti-woman sentiment.”
“That is non-negotiable for us,” said Eby. “And MLAs that share those bright-lines with us, and are interested in making the legislature work, I’m happy to work with them and I think there are ways we can work together.”
NDP challenge: Hear constituents while ignoring their elected MLAs
It could be a challenge, though, given that the NDP criticized the judgement and morality of Conservatives who won in ridings like Prince George-North Cariboo, and Peace River North, for example.
In some parts of the province, there may be no Conservatives the NDP are willing to meet with, drawing concerns about how local constituents can get their voices heard or local problem solved by government.
Eby said he’s alive to the concern.
“It is a slim majority and we’ve got work to do, clearly as a party, in terms of rural communities in this province,” he said on CKNW.
“So making sure that those MLAs who want to work and ensure that the Legislature is a place that works for British Columbians on those priorities I talked about — it could be everything from making sure that local hospital is working well for people or ensuring that whatever the housing issue is, and it takes a different form in different communities across the province, that we’re focused on that. I’ve seen that and that kind of cross-party cooperation is open if we can do it.”
Ultimately, the premier’s willingness to reach out to other areas of the province which did not support the NDP could have a major impact on his party’s future ability to regain its larger majority. He’ll have few options to choose from for his next cabinet — only five MLAs elected outside of Metro Vancouver and the Island.
“We need to be a party for the whole province, not just for urban areas,” said Eby.
We’ll see what that looks like in the weeks ahead.