Sunday November 16, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 1:23 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC NDP 2025 convention delegates have supported their leader Premier David Eby with a vote of 82.3%.
The vote results came at the end of Saturday’s business before an evening of social networking began. There were 740 valid ballots cast, with 609 supporting Eby’s continued leadership.
Earlier in the day, Eby delivered a speech that touched all the points of a good strong NDP rally-cry while including key points from recent months of provincial and national political challenges for his government.
Eby emphasized that New Democrats can get elected and govern effectively.
With the flair of building a family dynasty, Eby was introduced on stage yesterday afternoon by his young school-age children Ezra and Iva who performed with ease in front of the 800-plus audience at the Victoria Conference Centre.
The timing of this delegate support fr Eby comes after three years as Premier. Eby took over the reins from the late former Premier John Horgan in November 2022 and led the BC NDP to a slim majority in the October 2024 provincial election.
Eby gave fond and proud remembrance of Horgan as someone who once said the NDP could “fight like hell and still lead with compassion”, as part of recognizing other BC NDP premiers before him — Dave Barrett and Glen Clark.
The NDP has “always believed that better is possible” said Eby in his 30-minute speech that brought the crowd to standing ovations at least five times.
Delegates rose to their feet with applause on fundamental declarations such as an NDP government always standing for the right of workers to organize and strike as well as more specific ones like the recent achievement of equal disability support for all individuals and promising to uphold the northwest coast tanker ban.
“The future will not be found, it has to be built,” Eby declared to the room. “The BC NDP gets big things done.”
By contrast, the room fell silent for the wrap-up of Eby’s remarks about his feeling privileged and humbled to be a leader for the province at a “consequential time”. BC is declared by Eby as ‘the new engine of the Canadian economy’ in the face of the US-imposed trade war and threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
Convention:
This is a three-day BC NDP bienennial convention weekend, November 14 to 16. BC NDP MLAs attended to support Eby on stage.
MLAs in attendance included Grace Lore (Victoria-Beacon Hill) who is making her way back from dealing with some health challenges.
Before lunch on Saturday, MLA Ravi Parmar (Langford-Highlands) delivered a tribute to the late John Horgan — poignantly on his 31st birthday which ushers Parmar beyond being a youth member of the BC NDP.
MLAs seen mingling with the delegate crowd at the back of the room Saturday included Dana Lajeunesse (Juan de Fuca-Malahat), Mike Farnworth (Port Coquitlam), and Niki Sharma (Vancouver-Hastings).
Former Deputy Premier Carole James attended to receive a lifetime membership recognition and former Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy was also recognized as a lifetime member.
National support:
The federal NDP was well represented by Interim Party Leader Don Davies (who also delivered a speech later in the afternoon), Winnipeg MP Heather McPherson (who is currently a leadership candidate), former MP Taylor Bachrach, and others.
Media:
A full bank of news media attended for the day to cover the BC NDP convention, including asking questions of Eby in a media scrum after the Premier’s main speech.
One long-time legendary media leader was not there: Richard Zussman (after many years at Global TV) is moving on to a career outside of journalism. Journalists, delegates and others got themselves a ‘Zussmania forever’ souvenir button.
===== RELATED:
- BC NDP Convention Nov 14 to 16 in Victoria (November 14, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BC NDP | 43rd PARLIAMENT of BC