Here's what David Eby had to say at his 1st news conference since the final count in B.C.'s election

B.C. Premier David Eby took questions from reporters Tuesday for the first time since his party secured the narrowest of majorities in the final count of provincial election results.

The NDP leader began by describing the election result – which saw his party take the lead in a key Surrey riding as the final absentee ballots were counted on Monday, leaving it with 47 seats, the minimum needed for a majority government – as "a message" from voters, a theme he would return to throughout his remarks.

"They expect us to do better on a number of key files," Eby said, describing the message as he saw it.

"Equally, it was the opportunity for us to do better, and I am very grateful and honoured by the opportunity presented by British Columbians to be able to do just that."

Eby spoke for about 20 minutes, touching on a variety of topics that came up during the often-divisive campaign. Here are some of the highlights.

On when the legislature will return

Eby said his two priorities in the coming days are to appoint a cabinet and elect a Speaker of the legislature.

He said he intends to have a "sitting" of the legislature "as soon as possible" to accomplish those goals.

Exactly when that happens, though, will depend on the completion of the two mandatory judicial recounts that resulted from exceptionally close margins in the final count of ballots in two ridings.

"We're a little bit in the hands of Elections BC, here," Eby said, adding that it would be inappropriate to attempt to name a cabinet or elect a Speaker before the recounts are finished.

Whenever the legislature does resume for the fall sitting, it will not be a full "session" in which legislation is introduced, the premier said. That will happen with a Throne speech in the new year.

On whether there will be a Conservative Speaker

Having a bare majority of 47 seats in the legislature could make the math of governing the province challenging.

Traditionally, an MLA from the governing party is elected Speaker, though whoever holds the office is expected to act in a non-partisan manner, voting only when necessary to break ties, and always in favour of maintaining the status quo.

Having the Speaker come from one of the other parties would give the NDP more flexibility when attempting to pass legislation, with all 47 of its MLAs able to vote, rather than 46 with a Speaker from the party having to remain neutral.

Eby was asked about the possibility of a Speaker coming from the Conservative benches Tuesday, and said he wouldn't rule it out. He also noted that his party has "great candidates" who could be Speaker, and added that he's sure the Greens could produce a good Speaker as well.

"We want this place to be stable," the premier said.

On the rural-urban divide

Eby was asked about the composition of his cabinet, given that the vast majority of his MLAs come from the same two regions of the province: Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

He said he would try to ensure geographic diversity in his cabinet, noting that the NDP had "some great MLAs from outside the Lower Mainland."

The premier added, however, that the urban-rural divide that became apparent in this year's election results is "very concerning" to him, and promised outreach efforts in the Interior and the north.

"It's a province where we only succeed together," Eby said.

On the Land Act

One of the issues that may have hurt the NDP's performance in rural areas were the government's proposed – and walked-back – amendments to the provincial Land Act, which were intended to bring the law into agreement with the province's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Eby reiterated a commitment made during the leaders' debate that his government would not be reintroducing the amendments that it had proposed and scrapped due to backlash.

The premier said there was "a lesson" for the government in the reaction to the Land Act changes, adding that First Nations remain "critically important partners" in governance, and whole regions benefit from such partnerships when it comes to land use.

Eby acknowledged that the proposed Land Act changes created anxiety for many and said future efforts on the issue should be connected to specific agreements or initiatives, and the government should do a better job of explaining the benefits of such changes.

"It's hard work, but we're going to do it because it's so important for the future of our province," he said.

On public safety

Eby was asked whether he planned to follow through on a commitment to introduce more involuntary treatment for people with mental health and addiction issues, something the B.C. Conservatives also proposed to do during the campaign.

The premier said he hoped to work across the aisle, if possible, to address the public's concerns about issues like public drug use, mental health and addictions.

"There was a message from British Columbians that no one party had a monopoly on the best way forward," Eby said, noting that the B.C. Green Party's message about not tackling these issues "at the expense of people's human rights and dignity" was one he agreed with, even as he re-committed to his involuntary treatment promise.

On the carbon tax

Eby was also asked about – and stuck to – his pledge to end the provincial carbon tax if and when the federal government abandons its "backstop" policy that imposes a carbon tax on provinces that don't implement one on their own.

He said his government would not force people to choose between a government that takes climate change seriously and affordability for their households.

On SOGI

One area where Eby did not strike a conciliatory tone was on sexual orientation and gender identity resources in the school system, which John Rustad and the B.C. Conservatives promised to throw out.

"For us, it's a non-starter," Eby said, describing the resources – referred to as SOGI 123 – as an "anti-bullying" initiative and saying a "core value" of his party is that every child needs to feel safe in school.

The premier said what he saw during the election was certain groups spreading misinformation about SOGI 123 for political gain, and said the provincial government has a responsibility to communicate better to combat misinformation about the program going forward.

On what he's been up to since election day

"It involved a lot of time hitting the refresh button on my browser," Eby said with a laugh when asked how he spent the nine days from election night to his party being declared the winner in the final vote count.

He added that the lengthy process – by law, the final count cannot begin until one week after election day – gave him more time to spend with his family, something he said he was grateful to Elections BC for, despite the anxiety he also felt during the long wait.