It is official, David Eby has been sworn in as the 37th premier of the province of BC.
Eby, the former BC attorney general and the former minister of housing, was sworn in on Friday morning by Janet Austin, the lieutenant governor of BC.
He replaces John Horgan, who said that serving BC as premier was the “honour of my life.”
Horgan was in attendance, watching and helping Eby be sworn in at the Musqueam Community Centre in South Vancouver, and he offered some kind words to the new premier.
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Affordability credits
Eby’s swearing-in comes with good news for BC residents, as a cost-of-living credit was announced in a release, along with a separate bonus called the BC Affordability Credit.
The credits are designed to help people with bills, groceries or transportation costs.
The cost-of-living credit consists of a one-time $100 credit for BC Hydro customers, while the BC Affordability Credit will offer as much as $164 per adult, $41 per child, or $410 for a family with two children earning $43,051. It involves a sliding scale of credits for families earning as much as $150,051.
The ceremony
Eby’s swearing-in ceremony began with an Indigenous ritual led by the Musqueam People, which involved a blanket ceremony.
Province of BC/YouTube
Former MLA Joy MacPhail served as the event’s emcee and invited Horgan to say a few words.
He said he was confident in Eby’s abilities and suggested he would lead with commitment and compassion. He also referred to Eby as the “tallest guy in the room.”
For the record, Eby is a whopping 6’7″ tall.
“Congratulations, Premier Eby, it’s going to be a great ride,” Horgan said.
Eby then swore several oaths, including the Oath of Office, administered by Austin, making it official.
She then officially declared Eby as premier, congratulating him.
Eby thanked everyone but gave a special thank you to Horgan, saying he isn’t as tall as he looks because he’s standing on Horgan’s shoulders.
Rollercoaster path to premier
The path to becoming premier didn’t come without a little bit of adversity and controversy.
Anjali Appadurai entered the race to become premier but was eventually disqualified, which led many to criticize the BC NDP party. This also prompted BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau to chime in.
“Ms. Appadurai’s campaign spoke honestly about the overlapping health care, climate, and affordability crises that British Columbians are facing and this government’s failure to make progress on them. It’s no surprise that so many people were inspired by her message.”
Eby replaces a leader who became one of Canada’s most popular premiers. Tributes poured in for Horgan following his tweet thanking the province.
Dear #JohnFromLangford Thank you for taking care of us through flood, fires and a pandemic. You kept what we needed front and centre & I am very grateful.šš· https://t.co/8IFB6UpQC9
ā Sue Stroud she/her šā¤ļøšŖš¼šŗš¦š» (@suestroud) November 18, 2022
You can watch the entire ceremony below:
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