Premier David Eby said British Columbians sent him a "strong message that we need to be better" on issues like affordability and public safety after Saturday's tight election.
He also struck several notes of personal accountability.
"I'm the leader of the party," he said, when asked how much of the results fell on his feet. "I take responsibility for the message that we received from British Columbians, that we didn't do well enough, that we need to more, that they want us to do more and it's obviously a tough message to hear. But I heard it."
Eby made these comments Tuesday afternoon in Vancouver, where he updated the public about the effects of the atmospheric river that has claimed at least three, possibly more lives.
"My heart goes out to the families of those who are missing, who have died," he said. "It's devastating for them and their communities."
Tuesday's news conference was Eby's first public appearance since Saturday's close election.
The initial count from Elections BC shows the B.C. NDP leading in 46 ridings, the Conservative Party of B.C. under Leader John Rustad leading in 45 seats and the B.C. Greens leading in two seats.
Forty-seven seats are needed for a majority and two seats are the subjects of automatic recounts scheduled Oct. 26-28. That is also when officials will count an estimated 49,000 outstanding absentee and mail-in ballots.
Eby acknowledge that the final seat counts remains up in the air, but also reiterated his willingness govern. "The counting does continue and we are not taking anything for granted," he said. "But it's pretty clear to me that British Columbians sent us – sent me – a strong message that we need to do better."
Eby singled out affordability, public safety and health care as areas worthy of improvement.
He said he is taking those lessons "very seriously" and his party is going to put "those lessons into practice right away" because they cannot afford to wait.
When asked whether he would recall the legislature for a fall session to test the confidence of the house, Eby said British Columbians told his party that they want work on these issues right away. Eby, however, did not specifically commit to a fall session.
"I don't want to pre-judge the conversations that we are going to have with MLAs," he said.
Assuming that the current seat count won't change, Eby will head a minority government that cannot pass legislation on its own. Rustad has already signalled that he plans to bring down the B.C. NDP at the earliest oppportunity, which leaves the B.C. Greens holding the balance of power.
Eby confirmed that his party has reached out to the B.C. Greens, but discussions are not yet underway.
"The Greens have advised us that they are not ready yet to engage in those conversations, but we are preparing for what we hope is the likely outcome of the counting, without taking anything for granted," he said. "We are making sure that we are ready to go. We have a team in place to engage in conversations with MLAs about we are going to move forward, including with the Green Party, and nothing is off the table."
Eby praised Sonia Furstenau Saturday for having run a principled campaign as leader of the B.C. Greens. He also confirmed Tuesday that he had spoken with the two B.C. Greens – Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeriote – whom voters elected in Saanich North and the Islands and West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
But Eby's outreach also comes after he and his surrogates had warned voters that a vote for the B.C. Greens would be a vote for the Conservatives. In fact, Eby spent the last days of the campaign actively campaigning against Furstenau, who lost her race in Victoria-Beacon Hill against Grace Lore.
Observers have also raised questions about the Greens' willingness to support the B.C. NDP after Eby's predecessor John Horgan had prematurely cancelled the confidence-and-supply-agreement that allowed Horgan to become premier in 2017 after an equally close election.
When asked what concessions he was willing to make given this recent and distant history with the B.C. Greens to win back their trust, Eby played his cards close.
"We will see where the votes end up," he said. "We will ensure that every vote is counted and that the will of the voters is respected in this province. If they send us back to the parliament with a minority or majority, we will work, and we are preparing right now to be able to hit the ground running to address the issues British Columbians will have sent to Victoria to deliver for them."
But he also used the occasion to note that his party and the B.C. Greens share many values.
CBC this week reported that Rustad has told candidates not to throw away their election signs. When asked about this, Eby once again pointed to the outstanding votes and repeated his promise to make the legislature work for British Columbians.
Eby's appearance happened just before the Greens' announcement that Furstenau would stay as leader. “British Columbians demonstrated that they don’t trust any one party with 100 per cent of the power,” she said in a statement. “They need our next government to leave the negativity and toxicity of the campaign behind, get down to work and start delivering for them. I am prepared to provide guidance and counsel as our party and our province enter this new chapter."
