BC Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson says his government will launch an independent review of provincial finances and will make key decisions on leadership, cabinet and the legislature’s return in its first 100 days.
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BC Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has started laying out goals for the first 100 days of his government, including steps he says must be handled early as he moves from party interim leadership to a finalized leadership structure.
Doerkson said on Sunday that he still remains “technically the interim leader of the party,” adding, “I’m leader and that’s an administrative detail and there will be more information on that imminently.” He also said the government will need to choose a cabinet, with health and finance identified as the biggest portfolios.
The premier-designate said the government will determine when the legislature will resume, noting, “I don’t want to rule out a fall session.” He added, “I think it’s important to keep that option available and open to us,” while also saying there is work to do before a decision is made.
Doerkson also announced Sunday that his government will launch an independent review of the province’s finances. David Eby inherited a $6 billion surplus from John Horgan, and the current deficit is projected at $14 billion.
Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, said the province needs a credible plan to return to balance, stating, “We need to see a credible path back to a balanced budget.” She said, “And so that is going to take time, but we’re really hoping to further understand from the Conservative government what that timeline looks like.”
Hamish Telford, a political science professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, said Doerkson faces challenges that include addressing B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Telford pointed to the leadership campaign, saying candidates “all wanted to repeal DRIPA.”
On Monday, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, responded by saying, “We’re not going to stand idly by while the government-elect does, in fact, rip it up,” adding, “That’s a declaration of war.”
Telford said the road ahead for the B.C. NDP is also unclear, including uncertainty around who may become an interim leader and when that could happen. He said, “These are very early days and the NDP does not have to be in a rush,” and suggested that while there are veterans to guide the party, people such as Niki Sharma and Bowinn Ma could be early frontrunners.
Telford noted that Ravi Kahlon did not contest the election, but has been seen as potentially interested in leadership, and said there may also be others who were not elected this time or who have come from municipal politics.
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