A local politician is set to help David Eby in his bid to become B.C.'s next premier.
Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed, was asked to be a co-chair on Eby's upcoming campaign to replace current BC NDP leader and premier John Horgan.
After days of speculation, Eby officially announced on Tuesday (July 19) that he would be running to be Horgan's successor.
She accepted and will work alongside Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon, who had announced that he would not be seeking the leadership.
"I'm there to support and hopefully get him elected," she told the NOW.
"Of course, I'm very honoured. I was very honoured when he asked me. It's a responsibility that I don't take lightly and I want to do a good job."
Chen says she started working more with Eby because of a podcast they do together. She joined him as a co-host last year.
"I got to really know [Eby]. I've worked with Eby of course since 2017 but that podcast has brought us closer and I just really admire the work he does."
Chen describes Eby as sincere and a strong social democrat. She says she believes he is also a very principled progressive leader that can continue to carry on the work John Horgan has done for the party.
"I think in politics, being sincere and having integrity, those two things are huge for me.
"There's a lot of tough issues that we deal with, but being principled can always pull us back to make sure that whatever decision we make, it follows our principles and values."
Chen pointed to different portfolios Eby has covered, including ICBC and money laundering in B.C., that help show he can be an effective leader for the party.
"Those are two really toxic issues that our province had," she explained.
"When we used to talk about ICBC, people just hate ICBC. There's a lot of negative feelings and now things are just getting better and better with the reform that is happening. We had tough decisions to make but he [Eby] was able to stick to his principles. He wants to lower the rate for drivers and that's his focus."
"He made it work and the same with money laundering. This is a huge undertaking, but he has been able to make sure that he continues with the inquiry to find out what happened, what's wrong and how do we fix it."
The work Chen admires most of Eby's government portfolios is housing, especially as interest rates continue to rise and rents also continuing to increase.
"It's always been an issue that he cares a lot about," she said.
"To him, it's a basic human right and he wants to make sure he does as much as he can as the minister responsible for housing to deliver affordable housing and investment into our communities."
On June 28, Horgan announced he would not be seeking re-election during the next provincial election scheduled for 2024.
Horgan said he began reflecting on his future when asked by CBC’s Gregor Craigie if he planned on finishing his term. He said he and wife Ellie strolled Otter Point and discussed it.
“When Ellie and I were on the beach, laughing and reflecting on how many beaches we’ve walked on in our lives … and it was just a moment where we said let’s do more of this and less of that, quite frankly.”
After the couple returned from their few days away, Horgan said, he came out of the shower and went into the kitchen, where his wife mentioned he was humming.
“[She] said you’re humming — you haven’t hummed in a while,” said Horgan. “So I think I’m at peace.
“It’s a very difficult decision. I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t. I love this job.”
Horgan said he believes his government is making a difference and has asked the president of the BC NDP to work on selecting a fall date for a leadership convention.
“But I know that my team can continue to do that without me, and so it’s time to exit when the new leader is picked and I’ll continue to find other ways to make a difference.”
- with files from Cindy E. Harnett, Times Colonist
