B.C. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson said he was “deeply humbled” by his party’s victory and vowed to earn the trust British Columbians have placed in him.
Doerkson’s BC Conservatives won a resounding victory on Saturday night, with Global News projecting a majority government less than an hour after polls closed.
“I’m very excited that yesterday British Columbians chose change and they chose that,” Doerkson said Sunday in his first official news conference after election day. “People in every corner of this province, from the Peace to the island, from the Kootenays to the Coast placed their trust in us … It was lent to us for purpose and it must be earned back every single day.”
The man who was previously a relatively unknown backbench MLA took the reins of the party as an interim leader heading into the election after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned amid numerous departures.
On Sunday, his party was projected to win 64 seats, a total no party has surpassed since the BC Liberals won 77 seats in 2001.
Outgoing premier David Eby triggered the election less than two years into his mandate, initially saying it was necessary in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, though he later shifted his focus to affordability issues, a key part of Doerkson’s campaign.
Doerkson stressed he was an ally of British Columbia when asked about Trump reposting about the Conservatives’ win on his Truth Social platform.
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“I’m an ally to British Columbia and we should have taken the opportunity years ago to protect ourselves against these attacks,” Doerkson said. “My focus is going to be to supercharge our economy … It’s just about endless, where I believe we can support different industries that will protect us against these attacks.”
Work was already underway in forming government, with the premier-designate saying he’s spoken with Lt. Gov. Wendy Cocchia and named Kim Henderson as chair of the government’s transition team. Henderson previously served as deputy minister to then-premier Christy Clark.
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“When this party is sworn in, it will be ready on day one and it will hit the ground running,” he said.
He said his government will launch an independent review of the province’s finances on day one to “know where things stand,” promising residents would have a “full picture” before a budget is tabled.
He also reiterated campaign promises, stating within the first 100 days an expert commission would look into keeping emergency rooms open and cutting wait times.
But the first priority, Doerkson said, was raising the basic personal exemption to $32,000, amounting to about $1,000 a year “back in the pocket” of working British Columbians.
“These are serious times, people are stretched, the economy has stalled and too many British Columbians have stopped believing government can get anything done,” he said.
Though the BC Conservatives won a resounding victory, they also achieved a majority with the lowest voter turnout in decades. Preliminary figures from Elections BC show 48 per cent of those eligible voted. Prior to this year, no provincial election in recent history has seen turnout fall below 50 per cent.
Doerkson’s party was projected to win 64 seats with 48.05 per cent of the votes, with the NDP receiving 27 seats and 37.38 per cent. The Green Party won two seats and received 10.97 per cent.
During the campaign, Eby questioned if Doerkson would remain as premier going forward. As interim leader of the party, he is not currently permitted to run in an eventual leadership race.
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Asked whether he would stay, Doerkson said that’s an “administrative detail” that will see information provided “imminently.”
“But I will remain leader of the party and I am thrilled to be the premier-elect of British Columbia right now,” he added.
The next premier also faced questions on his stance on repealing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
He stressed he was committed to working with First Nations as premier, but remained firm on his plan.
“It has not worked in this province, and frankly, it has caused more problems to date than I think potentially anything else,” Doerkson said, questioning what it has done to solve problems in the province.
Congratulations for the premier-designate have come in from across the province and country, with Doerkson adding he’s heard from “a number of First Nations,” including in his riding of Cariboo Chilcotin.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew congratulated Doerkson on his win and thanked Eby for his friendship over the past few years.
Kinew did have caution though when questioned about Doerkson’s policies on DRIPA and Indigenous rights.
“I think the election results in BC should concern every elected politician and every consultant out there for this reason,” Kinew said. “It’s a reminder that what we’re doing is not a game. When you’re elected to serve the people of your province or of your country, it is a serious responsibility that isn’t to be played with.”
A date for when Doerkson’s government will be sworn in has yet to be announced and he did not say if there would be a fall session, though he didn’t rule it out.
—with files from Global News’ Amy Judd
