David Eby sworn in as B.C. premier

B.C.’s new premier, David Eby, was officially sworn in Friday, and the work now begins as he takes the helm from John Horgan.

One expert says there are three main issues Eby will have to face: delegating work, increasing his recognition before the next provincial election, and making good on the big promises he’s made to fix some of B.C.’s most complex issues.

“Housing and homelessness, an opioid epidemic, a pandemic that’s still taxing the health care system, inflation, health care costs — etcetera. And he’s pledged to really take the reigns and pull an ICBC on all of them. I think that will be very challenging,” explained UBC Political Scientist Gerald Baier.

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He says step one for all new premiers is naming their cabinet, adding people will be looking at his choices carefully, trying to determine if his administration will fall close to what it has been, or if he’ll try to forge new ground with new ministers.

“Young NDPers who are a signal of the generational change within the party and puts them in some of those more senior spots, or even one or two of them in a more elevated position, I think that could be a bit of a signal of that change,” he told CityNews.

When it comes to delegating work, Baier notes this is a skill Horgan excelled at in his time as premier.

“He does have to organize things because he can’t be attorney general and premier and fix everything else under the sun,” he said.

Eby became the new leader of the BC NDP, and effectively premier-delegate, after Anjali Appadurai, the only other candidate, was disqualified from the leadership race, which became marred in controversy.

Horgan announced in June he would be stepping down, citing his health.

Earlier this week, Eby vowed to transform Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, saying the situation there needs to be addressed, adding resolving contentious, complex issues is what governments should do.