For a week, watching the B.C. election count was like staring at Balance Rock — it wouldn’t tip left or right.
While it’s now clear David Eby and the BC NDP will stay in government, the contest between the NDP and surging Conservatives was so close it will take two judicial recounts due tomorrow to confirm whether the NDP won a 47-seat majority over the Conservatives’ 44. As of press time Monday, it seems the B.C. government’s final shape depends on 27 votes in Surrey-Guildford.
Local MLA-elect Tamara Davidson says she was surprised by the extremely close result, but as a first-time MLA, it helped her understand that people all over B.C. have quite different priorities.
Davidson managed to keep North Coast-Haida Gwaii firmly NDP, winning the riding by 2,210 votes over Conservative challenger Chris Sankey. But it is now the only orange riding on the political map of northern B.C. In every other riding north of Powell River, voters chose Conservative.
“I’m going to have to serve as a very strong voice for the north, for rural and remote communities,” Davidson said.
“I’m also willing to roll up my sleeves and work directly with the other Conservative members of the legislative assembly, ensuring that all the people in the north have access to things like quality health care and affordable housing, and looking at things like resource development and growing the economy.”
Davidson is the first Haida MLA, and the first MLA to live on Haida Gwaii. She is looking at opening a second constituency office in Skidegate, but will certainly keep one at the Ocean Centre Mall on Prince Rupert’s 2nd Avenue.
Davidson spoke to the Haida Gwaii News on Friday from Victoria, where her fellow NDP MLAs were negotiating who might serve in cabinet and as speaker.
Whatever happens next, Davidson said she is excited to meet people in parts of the riding she didn’t get a chance to visit during the campaign, including Klemtu, Hartley Bay, and Metlakatla.
Davidson welcomed the record number of women candidates and elected MLAs. B.C. is now the first province in Canada with a majority-female legislature.
“One of the big things that I talked about during my campaign was the NDP’s support for women’s health at all stages, and I think that really resonated with a lot of women,” Davidson said, noting that she campaigned for free birth control, first-round in vitro fertilization, and hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.
Going into politics is be a big leap for anyone, she said. There is a lot of public scrutiny, and it is often hard to balance political and family responsibilities.
But Davidson said it feels very good and very humbling to be elected. She thanked the many people who volunteered for her campaign, donated money, put up a sign, or gave her their vote.
“I just wanted to say a big haawa to everybody who stepped up and really supported me to step into this role, not just my ancestors, but all those that helped me here and were cheering me on.”