Eby defends decision to hold provincial election one week after Richmond municipal vote

David Eby appeared at Garry Point Park on Thursday morning with three of the four NDP candidates running provincially in Richmond, defending his decision to call an election two years before the fixed date. The provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 24, one week after Richmond residents elect a mayor, eight city councillors and seven school trustees. Former MLA Henry Yao is running in Richmond Centre after withdrawing from the Richmond mayoral race.

Asked by the Richmond News why he called the election now, Eby said governing with a one-seat majority had been difficult. He said that, technically, the government has a majority, but every vote can be tied because one NDP legislature member serves as Speaker and votes only to break a tie. In practice, Eby said, the government cannot control the legislature’s schedule and could fall on any vote. He said Conservatives had tried to bring down the government 13 times, coming close on a couple of occasions. Some members, he added, had to vote virtually from hospital beds.

Eby said Conservatives had spent much of their time in the legislature debating whether to “repeal the Human Rights Code.” He said British Columbians wanted the government to focus on costs and support them through the trade war with the U.S. and world events that are driving up costs.

**No commitment on Aberdeen Rental Residences**

On housing, Eby did not say whether a 220-unit BC Housing project in Richmond would proceed. Aberdeen Rental Residences was planned as affordable rental housing on city-owned land. The province paused the funding program last spring, and the project was put on hold in March. Eby said more housing announcements would come later in the campaign.

Eby noted that the province has a “decampment fund” to address homeless camps. He said he hoped Richmond residents would elect a slate of city council candidates willing to work with the province to close encampments and bring people indoors. He said he was willing to partner on that work and that the province had resources to do it.

Eby was also in Steveston on Thursday morning, promising to freeze ICBC rates for three years if re-elected. He claimed the B.C. Conservatives’ proposed “hybrid” car insurance system, combining public and private coverage, would more than double insurance costs. The comments followed media reports about a “secret letter” B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson sent to lawyer groups, saying he would consider all options involving ICBC.

The NDP government introduced no-fault insurance, under which anyone injured in a crash would be compensated by ICBC but could not sue for additional compensation. In a statement, the B.C. Conservatives said their plan would provide everyone injured in a crash with timely treatment and rehabilitation through no-fault benefits, while also allowing them to pursue fair compensation in an independent court. The party said the plan would include safeguards against fraud and stronger independent review and appeal rights.