The New Democrat whose 27-vote, come-from-behind election victory is being credited with giving B.C. Premier David Eby a razor-thin majority says he’s a bridge builder in his community and the party needs similar relationships across the province.
Garry Begg’s slim win over the B.C. Conservative candidate in Surrey-Guildford is still subject to a judicial recount, but for now it gives the NDP the 47 seats needed to form a majority in British Columbia’s 93-seat legislature.
Begg, a former RCMP officer who was first elected in 2017, was greeted with hugs and handshakes Wednesday as the NDP’s new caucus gathered at the legislature for its first meeting since before the Oct. 19 election.
“I don’t build walls. I build bridges. We have bridges to build here,” Begg said, referring communities across the province.
Begg was trailing B.C. Conservative candidate Honveer Singh Randhawa by more than 100 votes on election night but …