David Eby thumbs through a stack of vinyl records at Zulu Records located in his Vancouver-Point Grey riding and says hesa国际传媒檚 reminded of his younger days working at a Sam The Record Man store over the Christmas holidays.

sa国际传媒淐hristmas Eve, we sold a lot of Jann Arden CDs,sa国际传媒� he said, adding the last-minute shoppers were sa国际传媒渁ll dudes.sa国际传媒�

The leader of British Columbiasa国际传媒檚 New Democratic Party, wearing a short-sleeve collared shirt, black jeans and sneakers, sits casually at a table area near the back of the record shop.

Music is playing in the background, customers are browsing.

Itsa国际传媒檚 a comfortable spot to talk politics, the provincial election, family, stand-up comedy and B-movies, and not generally in that order, Eby, 48, said.

A good place to start is BC United Leader Kevin Falconsa国际传媒檚 move to suspend his partysa国际传媒檚 election campaign to support John Rustadsa国际传媒檚 B.C. Conservative Party in an effort to unite the right, which Eby said was expected by the NDP but still surprised him.

sa国际传媒淲e were always anticipating it because itsa国际传媒檚 happened so many times in this provincesa国际传媒檚 history that the right would unite under a single banner,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭he thing that was astonishing to me is they didnsa国际传媒檛 unite under the centre-right banner as they have for generations.sa国际传媒�

The move sa国际传媒渇ar rightsa国际传媒� to the B.C. Conservatives is asking voters to support a party whose leader does not believe climate change is real, a party official who has flashed a hand symbol associated with the alt-right movement and lifted the voice of Jordan Peterson, sa国际传媒渙ne of the most sexist commentators on the internet,sa国际传媒� said Eby.

sa国际传媒淭o unite under this banner sends a message to British Columbians that this is the direction they think we should go,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e had many disagreements with the B.C. Liberals over the years, but they werensa国际传媒檛 around issues about whether gay people had rights or whether climate change is real or about whether women should be treated with dignity and respect, and reproductive freedom.sa国际传媒�

Eby surprised many this month when he announced his government would dump its long-standing carbon tax on consumers if the federal sa国际传媒渓egal backstopsa国际传媒� requiring the province to keep the tax in place is dropped.

He said hesa国际传媒檚 been both anxious and committed to tackling B.C.sa国际传媒檚 big ticket items of housing, affordability, health care and the overdose crisis.

sa国际传媒淚 feel a huge urgency around these problems,sa国际传媒� Eby said. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 impatient for us to resolve the health-care issues. Isa国际传媒檓 impatient for us to get the things built that people need, whether itsa国际传媒檚 transit or roads or anything else and Isa国际传媒檓 impatient for us to get on the other end of the drug crisis and to get affordable housing built.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淪o, Isa国际传媒檓 pushing government hard,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 pushing people hard to do as much as we can on these things.sa国际传媒�

George Heyman, who has known Eby since 2013 when both Vancouver politicians were first elected to the B.C. legislature, said his colleague is a quick study who absorbs information and is willing to make difficult decisions.

sa国际传媒淒avid Eby is not afraid to break the paradigm in how wesa国际传媒檝e been dealing with very significant issues, whether itsa国际传媒檚 housing, whether it is the opioid overdoses,sa国际传媒� Heyman said. sa国际传媒淗e is looking for solutions that will make a difference and he is looking for ways to implement them as quickly as possible and as soundly as possible.sa国际传媒�

Ebysa国际传媒檚 process on decision-making involves hearing a diversity of opinions from within the NDP caucus and outside government, letting the ideas germinate for a period of time and then return for more discussion, which leads to a decision, Heyman said.

sa国际传媒淗e listens to people and he is compassionate and focused on finding the right mix of good policy for the future and meeting people where they are today,sa国际传媒� he said.

Ebysa国际传媒檚 style is sa国际传媒済o big or go home,sa国际传媒� said Prof. David Black, a political communications expert at Greater Victoriasa国际传媒檚 Royal Roads University.

He demonstrated his approach when, as attorney general, he introduced reforms to restructure the Crown-owned and debt-plagued Insurance Corporation of B.C., said Black.

He said Eby has a sa国际传媒渓etsa国际传媒檚-break-the-china-and-get-some-big-things-done style.sa国际传媒�

He noted that in Ebysa国际传媒檚 100-days speech after taking over as premier he was good at reading the public mood and their top-of-mind concerns: housing, affordability, health, public safety, the drug crisis and the environment.

Eby, who hasnsa国际传媒檛 won an election as premier, took over the job in 2022 after former premier John Horgansa国际传媒檚 retirement due to health concerns.

He and his wife, Cailey Lynch, whosa国际传媒檚 a family doctor, recently welcomed a third child, a daughter Gwen.

While they spend much of their time at home, Eby said he and his wife are huge stand-up comedy fans and attend shows whenever they can.

sa国际传媒淚 enjoy it,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 think itsa国际传媒檚 maybe the difference between a lot of the heaviness and seriousness of this stuff that comes and shows up on your desk as premier, and the fact that comedians are able to turn some of the most serious and devastating stuff into something that can put a smile on your face.sa国际传媒�

Eby, who invited comedian Charles Demers to speak at this November 2022 swearing-in ceremony, often starts his own news conference with an attempt at a joke.

sa国际传媒淚 find jokes are a good way to connect with people and connect with an audience,sa国际传媒� he said.

While stand-up comedy is Ebysa国际传媒檚 first choice for entertainment, B-movies are a close second.

He said his most recent favourite is the 2010 sci-fi film sa国际传媒淪tonehenge Apocalypse.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 magic,sa国际传媒� said Eby. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 got all the great elements you want.sa国际传媒�

But the enormity of the challenge of the election, which Eby has called sa国际传媒渢he starkest choice of a generation,sa国际传媒� is never far from his thoughts, he said.

sa国际传媒淔or me, I feel the extra weight of the significance of the election in terms of can we preserve whatsa国际传媒檚 made us successful over the years working together as a province,sa国际传媒� Eby said.