Thursday October 20, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 5:45 pm]
Editorial commentary by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today was Premier John Horgan’s last official question-and-answer session with the legislative and local news media. It started with a shaky-voice declaration that he has mixed emotions today… about having to leave the job and calling of politics that he loves, due only to his health challenges.
He ended the session quite unexpectedly — and abruptly — after being grilled by reporters in various ways about the process by which incoming Premier David Eby was essentially acclaimed, after the only other BC NDP leadership contender was disqualified for ‘breaking the rules’.
After nearly 18 years in the public eye (starting as MLA in 2005 in what is now Langford-Juan de Fuca, later becoming party leader, and then Premier in 2017), Horgan’s outburst was evidence of his emotions on this day. Not just about his own manner of demise, but likely over the criticisms of the party and political process that has been bound to his heart and soul throughout his career.
Confidence in Eby:
David Eby was today declared essentially by acclamation today as the next leader of the BC NDP, and as such will become this province’s next premier. Eby is set to be sworn in as leader of the BC NDP tomorrow, October 21, at 9:30 am.
He will be sworn in as Premier in a few weeks’ time.
Horgan said today that he has full confidence in Eby — whom he referred to as “a colleague and friends” to carry the party and the province forward, calling Eby a competent and compassionate leader.
A difficult road:
Horgan called the process of the last few months (during the BC NDP leadership race, to replace him as leader) as “a difficult road for everyone, with challenge along the way to be sure”.
Horgan called the work of the BC NDP executive “thorough and exhaustive”, toward producing a fair process within the current rules. Media questions today were essentially digging into whether the rules were fair, and wanted to know why the name of the executive committee were not released today. Horgan essentialy said he didn’t want the appointed members of the executive to be harassed. He said that Elizabeth Cull “who has been a member of the NDP for decades, took her job very seriously”.
“David has been one of the hardest working members of my cabinet,” said Horgan today. And was the hardest working critic on behalf of the official opposition, Horgan noted, regarding the years before the NDP took the reins of government in 2017.
“Every file that I have given him — large files, sometimes multiple files — have been handled delicately, and handled with success,” said John Horgan about David Eby. Eby undertook the restructuring of ICBC and dug deep into the money-laundering issue that faced BC (two things that effectively robbed British Columbians of full financial well-being under the previous BC Liberal government).
Voice in the moment:
Horgan’s voice cracked during much of the early part of today’s session, especially in this being his last day as Premier and about the criticism of the BC NDP leadership process.
He delivered with his usual confidence during most of the session, but quickly cut the livestreamed media session short after 18 minutes, saying he’d had enough.
Political ideology:
Horgan supported the work of the BC NDP executive committee that led the leadership process and reviewed the appeal from now disqualified candidate Anjali Appadurai.
He brought in the ideology of political correctness — noting that the head of the committee is an Indigenous man, lawyer and former chief, and that 80 percent of the executive are women, and almost 50 percent are people of colour. “So this is not about back rooms of the 1960s,” said Horgan in that context.
“This is about contemporary British Columbians making decisions in the best interest of the province. I’m proud of the work they did, I’m proud that David Eby will be the next premier of British Columbia,” John Horgan told media today.
With no reflection on any persons on the executive or in the decision-making process, it shouldn’t really matter the background of the members, only that they can do a competent job.
Opposition comment:
BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon addressed media at 1:15 pm today, primarily with two threads:
- how disrespectfully Anjali Appadurai was treated during the BC NDP leadership race, saying women in politics deserve better; and
- that David Eby (and the NDP government) has not adequately dealt with crime in BC.
However, the BC NDP were trendsetters in establishing a cabinet of 50 percent women right from the start in 2017, and have in many ways liberated women in politics from the back benches under Premier Horgan.
As well, the BC NDP have undertaken a review of the Police Act, which is still in process. Current horrible crime incidents (which have shot up recently) have as much to do with overall socioeconomic frustration in society as much as they do the processing of prolific offenders.
Falcon had no specific farewell comments about Horgan’s overall time in BC government leadership.
===== As posted ahead of Premier Horgan’s media session:
At 12:15 pm today, outgoing Premier John Horgan will address media.
This is his usual Thursday time slot with the professional news media, but comes as David Eby has been chosen by the BC NDP as their next leader, putting him in line to soon be the next Premier of British Columbia, when Horgan steps down. [Eby set to be sworn in at 9:30 am tomorrow, October 21.]
Horgan is also meeting in person with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today, in Vancouver.
Long-time in the west shore:
Horgan has been the MLA for what is now Langford-Juan de Fuca, since 2005. He became premier in July 2017, working the job hard ever since with a progressive agenda that has ‘put people first’ in BC.
Opposition comment:
BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon will address media at 1:15 pm today.
===== RELATED:
Horgan’s last speech to municipal leaders (September 16, 2022)
Premier Horgan on 5 years of delivering results for people (July 18, 2022)
Trudeau wishes Horgan well on upcoming retirement on eve of Canada Health Transfer discussions (June 29, 2022)
Looking back at Horgan on the west shore / photos (June 28, 2022)
Premier Horgan not seeking reelection in 2024 (June 28, 2022)
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends has been covering news of the west shore and south Vancouver Island since 2008.
Presenting the islandsocialtrends.ca news portal since mid-2020, the publication began as MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), then emerged as a weekly news publication Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), expanding to cover the fuller west shore with West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Publisher and editor: Mary P Brooke