David Eby and the BC NDP have secured a majority government by the slimmest of margins, securing a crucial 47th seat.The results could still be overturned following a judicial recount.Going into final count, the NDP sat at 46 seats to the BC Conservatives' 44, however after tallying up absentee, mail-in, telephone, and other special ballots, David Eby's party managed to flip the riding of Surrey-Guildford.According to Elections BC, as of 5:00 p.m. PST, NDP candidate Garry Begg leads Conservative competitor Honveer Singh Randhawa by 8,926 to 8,910, a difference of just 16 votes.There are a number of other ridings that are close, such as Kelowna Centre, where the Conservatives are leading by a mere 35 votes.."As Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, I have spoken with Premier David Eby, who has advised me that he is prepared to continue as Premier of British Columbia," Janet Austin wrote in a post on X. "This follows the outcome of the October 19, 2024, provincial election, having received today, October 28, 2024, assurances from Elections BC of the results of the final count."Austin extended her thanks to every candidate regardless of whether they were successful or not, and expressed her gratitude to the Elections BC team.."I want to express my gratitude to every British Columbian who participated in this election and voted," Conservative leader John Rustad wrote in a post on X. "Your engagement in our democratic process is invaluable.""I accept the results of this election," he continued. "I thank our Elections BC workers for their hard and dedicated work. While there are still judicial recounts to be completed, it's now clear that our party will not win enough seats to form government in BC."Rustad said he was "ready to begin the important work of leading BC's Official Opposition," adding that a Conservative caucus would be "committed to holding government accountable and advocating for policies that reflect the best interests of all British Columbians."
