Premier John Horgan is marking the B.C. New Democratic Party's fifth anniversary in power on Monday.
In a statement from the premier's office, Horgan said the province has faced "unprecedented challenges" that were never imagined when his government was sworn in on July 18, 2017.
The premier said he is proud of the progress the NDP has made over the past five years.
"From Day 1, we’ve made different choices. We put people first. We rolled up our sleeves and took on the biggest problems – problems that were years in the making," Horgan said.
"We immediately set out to clean up politics by taking big money out of campaigns and introducing tough new lobbying rules. Instead of handing tax breaks to the wealthiest few, we asked the top two per cent to pay their fair share so we could invest in the services and supports families rely on."
The governing party is expected to elect a new leader in December after Horgan announced last month that he would step down in the fall.
The leadership campaign period officially got underway Sunday. The party says voting will begin in November and the results will be announced on Dec. 3.
The NDP has appointed former cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull as its chief electoral officer to oversee the leadership race.
The party says the deadline to join as a party member to be eligible to vote in the leadership election is Sept. 4.
"I have never been more optimistic about the future of our province," Horgan said in the statement.
"We have been through a lot together. But we have shown that we can overcome anything if we look out for each other and work with a common purpose. I know our whole government will keep the focus on helping people so we can continue to build a better and stronger B.C. – one that works for everyone and leaves no one behind."
With files from The Canadian Press
