Despite criticism from the labor movement and the environmental wing of British Columbia’s NDP, Premier David Eby received a strong endorsement from the New Democrats during the party’s convention this weekend in Victoria.
jOnly more than 82 per cent of the NDP’s 743 delegates voted against holding a leadership race, effectively accepting the status quo of Eby at the helm.
“To everyone in this room, the members who are the beating heart of our movement, thank you,” Eby said in his speech to delegates before the voting results were announced.
“We are also a broad church. I can see it in this room: labor organizers, indigenous leaders, farmers, community activists and business people.”
The convention, however, revealed tensions overng the NLoyal to DP.
Delegates expressed concern about the NDP government’s willingness to accelerate resource projects, its support for public sector unions and its ability to reach young people.
“The NDP has lost its young people,” he said. Jäger Rosenberg, candidate for party president.
Rosenberg, who joined the party at age 13, worries that young people frustrated by the affordability crisis are turning to the BC Greens, who have gained new energy under a new leader, and the BC Conservatives.
To win them back, he said, the party must offer an “alternative to the MAGA fascists who are trying to take over this province. We need to offer a vision and we need to offer hope.”
It’s the first time the party has met since last year’s election, in which the NDP nearly lost to British Columbia’s Conservative upstarts.
Work tensions
Sussanne Skidmore, president of the BC Federation of Labor, acknowledged the eight-week strike by the BC General Employees Union was a difficult time for public sector workers.
“The government has work to do to repair those relationships,” he said.
In his speech, Eby acknowledged the tension between the party and the union movement following the strike.
“I don’t need to tell our friends in the union movement that we won’t always agree on everything,” he said.
“We will always defend your right to get a fair deal where it is best achieved: at the negotiating table.”
The NDP government is in the middle of negotiations with the BC Nurses Union and other public sector unions.
Concern about climate change
There was also disagreement among party members over the NDP’s commitment to the environment and climate change.
That came to the surface when the future of the forestry industry and a resolution to speed up the North Coast Transmission Line were debated.
Several delegates expressed concern about taxpayer money subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.
The North Coast Transmission Line would double the electricity that can flow between Prince George and Terrace and is needed to power LNG projects and critical mineral mines.
Jordan Crawford, a delegate who lives in Courtenay, says he is “concerned” when it comes to Eby’s promise to accelerate resource projects.
“LNG is not a transition fuel. It’s just as bad as coal,” Crawford said. “I can’t support this. And I can’t support a leader who is risking his entire position on this.”
Crawford says the NDP under Eby has “abandoned” climate change goals and risks losing the support of the BC Greens under Emily Lowan, the climate activist who was recently elected party leader.
The North Coast Transmission Line is one of two projects Prime Minister Mark Carney declared a national construction project.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said he would not rule out calling an early election if the government’s bill to speed up a power line in northern British Columbia fails. But as Katie DeRosa reports, BC Conservatives tried to delay Bill 31, and BC Greens aren’t entirely on board with the bill.
Carney was at Terrace this week to announce that the Ksi Lisims transmission line and LNG facility are the latest BC projects to be expedited through the major projects office.
Eby said last month that he would not rule out calling an early election if legislation to support the North Coast Transmission Line fails in the legislature.
During the debate, Eby stood at the microphone, among the delegates, and spoke in favor of accelerating the project.
Eby told the crowd there is an opportunity for the government to seek public equity participation in some of these important resource projects “so that everyone benefits when we support these companies, not just private enterprise.”
He later clarified to the media that the government does not intend to seek public stakes in Ksi Lisims LNG or LNG Canada and that the North Coast Transmission Line will be publicly owned by BC Hydro with the First Nation.sa along the obtai routeno equity participations.
The resolution to support the transmission line passed with overwhelming support.
The party also focused on election preparation, ensuring it has a healthy war chest.
Eby says that’s to ensure the party is “ready” for an early election if BC Conservatives want to try to overthrow the government over the North Coast Transmission Line.
“(It’s) the last thing we want to do,” he said. “But we need to be prepared.”
