Former Attorney General and Minister of Housing David Eby has been sworn in as the 37th Premier of British Columbia.
Eby, 46, took the oath of office before the lieutenant governor. Janet Austin during a ceremony at the Musqueam Community Center on country lands southwest of Vancouver on Friday, the first swearing-in of a premier hosted by a First Nation in B.C.
Speaking to the packed room in the first minutes of his term, Eby named housing, health and public safety as his top priorities.
“These are massive challenges and if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t solve these problems alone. We have to solve them together,” he said.
Eby was surrounded by members of the Musqueam Indian Band, outgoing Premier John Horgan and the entire NDP caucus. Eby’s wife, Dr. Cailey Lynch, cradled their daughter Iva while their son Ezra sat next to her.
Credits for the cost of living
In his first step as premier, Eby launched two “cost of living” credits for residents and businesses in B.C.
The first is a one-time credit of $100 that is automatically applied to all eligible BC Hydro customers. Those who pay business rates, including small and medium-sized businesses like restaurants, can receive a one-time credit of about $500.
The credit was formally announced Friday, although the province has been working with the company to provide the relief since September.
British Columbia Premier David Eby was covered in a blanket from the Musqueam Nation before being sworn in Friday. A general ceremony to offer support and respect to Eby as he came into office. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
The second is a new BC Affordability Credit, which will provide additional funds for low- and middle-income earners to help offset the rising cost of living.
The credit will provide up to $164 per adult, $41 per child, or $410 for a family with two children earning $43,051 per year.
Eby said his cabinet will announce its public safety plan this weekend. On Monday, he said, the government would introduce legislation to tackle the housing crisis, followed by changes to health care “in the coming days and weeks”.
Before Friday’s swearing-in, Eby participated in a Musqueam blanket ceremony as a gesture of support and respect from the nation as he took office.
“I want to recognize our new premier. When we talk about truth and reconciliation, I’ve said many times that reconciliation is not just words. Actions must follow,” said Musqueam Chief-Elect Wayne Sparrow, yəχʷyaχʷələq.
Outgoing Premier John Horgan, center, receives a standing ovation during Premier David Eby’s swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Horgan is stepping down due to ill health after surviving throat cancer last year. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Eby replaces Horgan, who stepped down as premier following his treatment last year for throat cancer. Eby singled out his predecessor during his speech.
“There’s been a few height jokes and I’ll add one … I’ll let you in on a secret, really,” said Eby, who is six-foot-seven.
“I’m not as tall as I look because I’m standing on John Horgan’s shoulders.”
Activist to lawyer to prime minister
Eby was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, and moved to BC in the early 2000s after completing a degree in “professional rhetoric and writing” at the University of Waterloo and earning a law degree at Dalhousie University.
He was a lawyer for the Pivot Legal Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside from 2005 to 2008. During this time, he advocated for the rights of the city’s homeless residents.
He later became executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association.
Eby’s political career began with an unsuccessful run in the 2008 Vancouver municipal election. He entered provincial politics as a BC NDP by-election candidate for Vancouver–Point Gray in 2011, but lost before the then Prime Minister Christy Clark.
In a rematch in 2013, Eby stunned Clark in defeat and took over the ball, which he has held ever since.
He was appointed BC’s Attorney General in 2017 and Minister of Housing in 2020, resigning both positions when he announced his bid to become leader of the BC NDP in July.
He was hailed as the first nominee after his only competitor in the leadership contest, Anjali Appadurai, was disqualified following an investigation into her campaign tactics.