Ways of combating public disorder in B.C.'s downtown cores will be a central plank for the NDP in the upcoming provincial election.
Appearing at the 2024 Union of British Columbia Convention in Vancouver, Premier David Eby specifically referenced concerns from smaller communities like Trail and Terrace as well as larger communities like Nanaimo, Abbotsford and Vancouver.
"What you will see in our platform for the upcoming campaign is a commitment to you around additional resources for community policing for downtowns that are under this kind of stress," he said.
Eby said the result will be a strong and visible law enforcement presence in B.C.'s downtowns, coupled with social supports and mental health intervention teams that put the emphasis on mental health, to ensure "our communities are safe, that everybody is looked after, and our downtowns recover and are strong and successful."
He made this promise during the scripted part of his appearance before delegates representing 180 municipal and First Nations governments from across the province. Eby also hinted at policy changes around transit for youth during a question-and-answer session with UBCM President Coun. Trish Mandewo of Coquitlam, who was relayed questions from delegates.
Eby appeared before delegates little more than two hours after making a major housing announcement in Vancouver. He echoed Johnny Cash's 'I Have Been Everywhere' during the scripted portion of his appearance as he name-checked communities across B.C., some twice. He often used them as pivots to either highlight accomplishments or signal government help.
"We are not going to be walking way from the challenges that you face," he said. "We are going to be sitting down and working with you...because we need to be listening and we need to be working together."
This promise came with the acknowledgement of what he called challenges in areas such as health care.
"There is serious work that we need to do on health care," he said. "It's not meeting your expectations and it's not meeting my expectations."
But Eby immediately paired this concession with a call to stay the course, underscoring his point by drawing attention to the new hospital "well under construction" in Surrey's Cloverdale neighbourhood, adding that Surrey will host a new medical school.
"But I can tell you that we are seeing signs that we are starting to turn the corner through our work together."
The references to Surrey were hardly accidental. The municipality is on pace to surpass Vancouver as B.C.'s largest, with five out of the six new election ridings located there. Eby will also kick off his party's campaign in Surrey, which many experts consider the key to winning. Polls show a close race between NDP and the Conservative Party of B.C., the latter said to dominate ridings outside B.C.'s urban and suburban areas.
An emphasis on a handful of ridings raises questions of how Eby's government will campaign and ultimately govern in rural and northern regions.
Speaking with media after his appearance before delegates, Eby acknowledged that he does not always see the realities or challenges or rural life, but promised that British Columbians will be reflected in the party's platform regardless of where they live.
"We have some amazing candidates (in rural B.C.)," he said. "We have the mayor of Fruitvale (Steve Morissette) who is running for us in (Kootenay-Monashee). He is a guy who knows intimately the challenges that people face and there are many more candidates like him from across the province."
Eby also touched on a range of other issues. They include his government's recent announcement around involuntary care and last week's pledge to eliminate the consumer carbon tax if Ottawa were to eliminate the tax, or the legal requirement for it. Eby first acknowledged to delegates, then later to media, that a future government under his leadership would have to make adjustments to provincial finances.
Without giving specifics, Eby said a future NDP government would protect the carbon tax credit benefiting lower-income British Columbians while ensuring that "industry, big polluters" continue to pay a carbon price.
Eby's appearance before delegates came just two days before the official start of the election campaign. He used his opening remarks to find some humour in the situation.
"I can't believe we are 14 diapers away," he said, referening his newborn daughter. But as his appearance continued, he stepped up his attacks on Conservative Leader John Rustad, especially on the issues of climate change, health care and Indigenous relations.
Eby then used his last line to draw a contrast between himself taking questions from the delegates' floor and Rustad's refusal to do so.
"I love taking questions and I really look forward to John Rustad's question session as well," Eby said.
Rustad is scheduled to speak Friday (Sept. 20) with B.C. Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau scheduled to follow.
