But controversy surrounds his B.C. NDP leadership victory
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
David Eby, the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey and former attorney general and minister responsible for housing, is set to become British Columbia’s next premier.
Eby effectively won the provincial NDP leadership Wednesday after the party’s executive disqualified his only competitor, Anjali Appadurai, from the leadership race after an investigation into new party memberships.
Eby resigned from his Cabinet positions in July to enter the leadership race.
He was the only candidate until Appadurai entered the race in August.
Now, Appadurai’s campaign is accused of using third parties to garner support for NDP membership to vote in the leadership race.
Expelling her from the race was necessary, a government report said.
"Because no other remedy can adequately address the failings and breaches of the Appadurai campaign in this leadership election contest, the CEO has reached the difficult conclusion that Ms. Appadurai should be disqualified as a candidate," Elizabeth Cull, the B.C. NDP’s chief electoral officer, said in a report, CBC reported.
It’s unclear if Appadurai will challenge this decision.
Eby’s leadership platform focuses heavily on housing.
His promises for B.C. include launching BC Builds, “a brand new housing development initiative to greatly expand government’s role in creating middle-class homes that people can actually afford.”
The vote to name the new leader was originally scheduled to begin Nov. 13 with the leader being announced on Dec. 3.
Eby will replace John Horgan as premier once an official leadership vote takes place and he is sworn in.
Horgan triggered a leadership race in June when he announced he’s stepping away from politics due to health concerns.
This includes a bout with throat cancer early in the year which required 35 radiation sessions.
Lana Popham, B.C.’s minister of agriculture, endorsed Eby’s candidacy.