2024 B.C. Budget Recap with Premier David Eby

About the speaker:

Premier David Eby got into public service to tackle big challenges – and he’s never been afraid to take on powerful interests to deliver results for people.

As British Columbia’s longest-serving Attorney General in the last 30 years, David got big money out of B.C.’s elections and cracked down on money laundering in casinos and real estate. He took on opioid manufacturers and delivered a first-of-its-kind settlement to hold corporations accountable for the overdose crisis. And he removed lawyers and legal costs from the ICBC process to reduce car insurance rates by an average of $400 a year for drivers.

When he was appointed Minister of Housing in 2020, David got right to work. Under his leadership, thousands of new middle-class homes are being built all over the province, and hundreds of people experiencing homelessness have been moved from unsafe encampments to more secure housing. Now as premier, David is ready to change the game by making sure housing in B.C. means homes for people – not profits for wealthy investors.

Before being elected as the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, David was an award-winning lawyer and legal scholar. He started his career on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, defending the homes of low-income people from developers and real estate speculators. His work on human rights and democratic freedoms has been recognized by the United Nations Association in Canada, and the B.C. Human Rights Coalition.

Prior to politics, David was an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia, president of the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and served on the Vancouver Foundation’s Health and Social Development Committee. From 2009 to 2013, David ran the B.C. Civil Liberties Association as executive director.

David was raised in a suburban middle-class household. The son of a teacher and a small-town lawyer, he remains grounded in the values he grew up with – commitment to family, community, and helping the less fortunate. He is now a proud husband and father with two children of his own, Ezra and Iva. He loves playing with his kids, practising yoga and hanging out with his wife Cailey, a family doctor in Vancouver.

As B.C.’s 37th premier, David is working hard to build a better, stronger future for everyone. Because he believes his kids and all British Columbians deserve to enjoy the same opportunities at a good life that he has had.