Tuesday June 18, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated June 23, 2024]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
[Update June 23, 2024: Premier Eby wlil announce some cost of living supports in Chilliwack on June 24 and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon will announcing more housing projects in Kamloops]
A duly elected government is charged with running the operations of the jurisdiction they are responsible for. That should go without saying. It applies whether federal, provincial or municipal.
So lately, the continued questions to the BC Premier from some members of the mainstream media about the proximity in time of continued work to deliver services in BC seems not only cantankerous but eats up available media time for questions about more informative considerations.
Today Premier David Eby did say that some things needed urgent work when he took over as Premier after former Premier John Horgan had to step away for health reasons.
“I saw some very serious issues that needed to be dealt with quickly,” said Eby today. He became premier in fall 2022, his cabinet was sworn in December 7, 2022 and work began in earnest in 2023. Notably, Eby’s cabinet (which has remained nearly unchanged since December 2022) kept Adrian Dix firmly in place and elevated housing to top priority by creating a new housing ministry lead by Ravi Kahlon as housing minister.
Focus on health care and housing:
In the last 18 months a good chunk of BC government announcements have indeed been about health care and housing. This is entirely appropriate as the BC population rapidly grows — with apparently more on the older-age spectrum with bigger load for health-care as well as young families with greater load for schools.
“People need support now more than ever,” said Premier Eby in a media session in Surrey. These are priorities and the government will “work right up to the writ period,” said Eby.
Election date:
The writ will drop on September 21 (official campaigning begins). [See election period dates and news archive in the Island Social Trends Calendar]
The provincial election date is October 19, 2024 (with advance voting on six days ahead of that).
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NEWS SECTIONS: HEALTH | POLITICS | HOUSING | BC ELECTION 2024