With David Eby at the helm, how will his leadership style differ from his predecessor?

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Idealist and realist. Activist and member of the organization. Workaholic and yoga dad.

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David Eby has done all of this at some point in his career. But as he prepares to take office as BC’s 37th prime minister on Friday, he steps into the shadow of his predecessor John Hogan, one of BC’s most popular prime ministers. Perhaps the most important feature he has to assume is the Fixer.

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The root causes of crime, the lack of affordable housing, a collapsing healthcare system and the pressure to solve intractable problems before facing BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon in the 2024 election exposed to

Those around him described the 46-year-old father of two as ambitious, laser-focused, and relentless, and could expect the same from his soon-to-be-appointed Cabinet members. said to be of high quality. He is also not afraid to defy those he believes to be a hindrance to his progress.

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But his closest friends and colleagues say Eby’s first approach is to get people on his side through evidence and impressive research. In this way, as Attorney General, he persuaded skeptical ministers to accept no-fault insurance reform to end the “dump fire” in the Columbia Insurance Corporation. . Former NDP minister Joy McPhail, who was chairman of the ICBC board when reforms were underway in 2018, said:

“His approach is calm, methodical, caring and broad-minded,” said McPhail, who remains Evie’s mentor.

“I have very high expectations of my colleagues, the government and myself,” Ebbie told Postmedia News.

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In a letter to civil servants, Eby made his expectations clear by hinting at reforms with little patience for the slow bureaucracy that could hinder widespread change.

The former attorney general and housing minister said he wanted to “bring the distance” between government leaders and front-line civil servants working in hospitals, housing agencies, social services and publicly funded nonprofits. said they wanted to give their employees a voice. It would improve the status quo.

After leading the New Democrats to the biggest victory in BC history in October 2020, Eby assured the public that he was not planning any radical changes and wanted to continue the powers secured by Horgan.

But his housing platform includes deterring real estate speculators, legalizing secondary suites in all neighborhoods, and allowing developers to replace single-family homes with up to three units in major city centers. It includes a promise to establish a reversal tax for

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Eby also announced the end of fossil fuel subsidies. This was disqualified from the October party leadership election following an investigation by the BC NDP Chief Election Officer who endorsed his opponent Anjali Appadurai, a 32-year-old climate activist who supported environmentalism. An olive branch to those who He was involved in improper coordination with a third party group.

Jeff Ferrier, a public affairs analyst for Hill+Knowlton Strategies and a longtime BC NDP volunteer with the Department of Health from 2021 to 2022, said Eby quickly set the pace and kept people on his trajectory. said it would challenge

“I think what makes Evie’s leadership style unique is what I call a pacesetter,” says Ferrier. “While most prime ministers do steady jogging, Eby is more of an interval runner, alternating between periods of steady motion and short bursts of ultra-high intensity workouts. When the comes, you hold hands, lead from the front, and say to those around you, “Follow my lead, as I do.” ”

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Given the intense pressure Evey is under to address the serious problems of housing, homelessness, mental health and violent offenders in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and other urban centers. “It’s a great skill,” Ferrier said.

BC liberals have branded Eby the “incoming soft-on-crime premier” because it details the horrific attacks that have been happening regularly to thwart the crime problem during the period in question. rice field.

Eby said he had already spoken with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about reforming criminal law bail provisions to give states the power to deal with repeat offenders.

As for partisan attacks, Eby said he has a “long fuse” thanks to growing up with the ability to “shoot anti-aircraft artillery” from his three siblings and won’t get angry easily.

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This earned him the nickname ‘Angry John’ from the opposition, and although he softened to his joking father as prime minister, he was able to kindle his temper during heated debates in parliament. Contrast with Hogan.

Former BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, who struck a deal in 2017 that allowed the NDP to seize power from the BC Liberals, said Ebby was “thoughtful, articulate and compassionate”. said. He was the man for everyone, like John[Hogan].

Former NDP political strategist Bill Thielemann, who volunteered in past campaigns for the Vancouver Point Gray MLA, said he saw Eby evolve from a fearless civil rights attorney. He opposes police and government overreach as president of the BC Civil Liberties Association and against pragmatic politicians willing to compromise to get things done.

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“I think the problem with people trying to fill in[Eby]is that he’s a work in progress,” Tieleman said. “One of the benefits of being a government worker is that he has had real success with some very difficult files. So that’s how you win elections and change people’s minds.”

Some activists have accused Evie of abandoning the ideals of the far-left poor people’s champion in favor of the politically popular Soundbite.

In August, the BC Civil Liberties Association accused Eby of supporting compulsory treatment of people who repeatedly overdosed on illegal drugs, saying he “By defending choices that they know violate people’s human rights by “throwing human rights, civil liberties and evidence under the bus” charter rights.

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Eby said his ideals haven’t changed, but now stands for all British Columbians instead of just a few on the Downtown East Side.

“The big change I see is that the constituencies I advocate have now moved from one community to a state,” he said.

“A core part of my job has always been to make sure that the systems in place in government are actually working for people. people who expect the government to work for them.”

kderosa@postmedia.com

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