David Eby was officially named the new Leader of the BC NDP Friday, capping off a tumultuous month and a whirlwind of a week.
Late Tuesday evening, a BC NDP investigation report was leaked to media. The report examined whether Anjali Appadurai's campaign broke regulations by coordinating with Dogwood -- an environment-focused organization -- to get people to join the NDP. The report notes that Eby's campaign filed a formal complaint, as did several other parties.
The report concluded with the recommendation that Appadurai be disqualified, saying that "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."
READ: “I’ve Answered the Call of a Movement”: Anjali Appadurai in the Race to be BC Premier
Late Wednesday evening, the BC NDP executive council met and then officially announced Appadurai's disqualification, despite her rebuttal, paving the way for David Eby to become the next leader of the party and Premier-designate.
On Thursday, outgoing Premier John Horgan held a press conference, throwing his support behind Eby, who co-chaired Horgan's campaign for BC NDP Leader in 2014. Appadurai held her own press conference on Thursday as well, saying she did not collude or use trickery and that the evidence in the report was "cobbled together to support a pre-determined conclusion", but that she would not leave the party.
David Eby and Affordable Housing
Eby previously unveiled his expansive plan for housing in late September, including a $500M Rental Housing Acquisition Fund that would allow non-profits to purchase affordable rental buildings to stave off displacement. He also said he would create BC Builds, a "housing development initiative" that would work with First Nations and municipalities to create attainable housing faster. Among many other things, Eby also highlighted a BC Flipping Tax, which would be charged at the time of sale, with rates higher the less time you've held on to the property.
Much of Eby's plan took aim at speculators, investors, and corporations that use loopholes to avoid paying taxes and profit from the province's housing crisis, referring to them as "frauds, cheats, and criminals."
Since Eby unveiled his plans, however, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has published an analysis, recognizing that "although the plan is not official government policy and details on each proposal are limited, UBCM has conducted a preliminary review for member reference, given the potential near-term implications for local governments."
The UBCM gave Eby a mixed grade. They said aspects such as the Rental Housing Acquisition Fund and Flipping Tax were in alignment with the UBCM's goals, but also singled out a few aspects that they believed needed further consultations to "minimize potential unintended consequences."
Regarding Eby's proposed BC Builds program, the UBCM said "careful consideration would be needed to ensure the effective delivery of housing that responds to local needs," alluding to the fact that most municipalities conduct their own individual housing needs reports, and that those needs are not the same across the province.
READ: David Eby Targets Housing Crisis Profiteers in New Sweeping Housing Plan
For similar reasons, the UBCM called Eby's previously-proposed plan to intervene in municipalities that weren't meeting provincially-set housing targets a "matter of concern." Eby raised that possibility in June, but did not include it in the housing plan he released last month.
Other critics, such as the Condominium Home Owners Association of BC, have raised concerns about Eby's plan to allow rentals in all strata buildings. (Currently, rentals are banned in some, but not all, strata buildings.) The Association said that could very likely have unintended consequence such as making condos more appealing to speculators and could result in higher rents, because owners would need to cover the strata fees, insurance, and taxes, which often exceed $1,000 a month.
Eby held his own press conference Thursday, answering questions about the events of this week, adding that he would announce actions for his first 100 days on Friday. During Friday morning's 20-minute press conference, however, Eby did not provide specific details about actions he will take, only saying that he is looking forward to getting to work and delivering for people, saying that affordable housing and public safety will be his top priorities.
No official date has been announced for when Eby will be sworn in as Premier, but because there is no longer a leadership election, it was expected to be earlier than the previously scheduled date of December 3.
