VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
B.C. NDP caucus to discuss interim leadership after election defeat
The party’s caucus is set to meet Thursday after its seats fell from 47 to 28 in Saturday’s election. The B.C. Conservatives won 63 seats, a two-thirds majority, while outgoing leader David Eby has not said whether he will attend.
Members of the B.C. NDP caucus are scheduled to meet at the legislature Thursday to discuss who will serve as the party’s interim leader after its weekend election defeat. The caucus was reduced to 28 members from 47 before Saturday’s vote. The B.C. Conservatives won 63 seats, giving them a two-thirds majority.
Outgoing Premier David Eby announced his resignation as party leader in his election-night concession speech. It is unclear whether he will attend Thursday’s caucus meeting. The outgoing NDP caucus met online Wednesday, and MLA-elect Niki Sharma is expected to speak to reporters ahead of Thursday morning’s meeting.
Geoff Meggs, former chief of staff to the late former NDP premier John Horgan, said the next leader faces the reputational challenge of proving the party can be trusted with taxpayers’ money. In an interview Wednesday, Meggs said voters want services protected and also want to see some balance in spending.
Horgan left Eby a $5.7-billion surplus when he stepped aside in 2022. Eby’s government later turned it into a record deficit, forecast to reach $14 billion this year.