No evidence NDP-Green alliance will work, premier says

On Thursday, seven weeks after a knife-edge election, New Democratic Party (NDP) lawmakers, backed by the Green Party, used their majority of 44 in the 87-member legislature to introduce a non-confidence amendment in the Liberal government’s Throne Speech.

“We discussed the configuration of the legislature”, he told reporters waiting outside, while supporters cheered.

Clark later spoke to media and said she asked the lieutenant-governor to trigger an election.

Thursday’s confidence vote followed one month to the day after Horgan and Green leader Andrew Weaver first agreed to join forces, and after several weeks of political maneuvering and uncertainty in the capital.

Earlier, there was the ridiculous throne speech, a wholesale capitulation to the NDP and Greens, in which pages and pages of platform ideas were lifted and made brand-new Liberal values, despite the fact Liberals had fought, ignored and belittled some of them for years.

“He is inheriting the best balanced books in the country. and I hope he can find a way to make sure that we preserve that”, she said.

Clark said she was responding to the will of voters, but Horgan describe the premier’s pivot as a calculated political maneuver. Judith Guichon to say he was asked to form a government after reaching a deal with the Green party on a legislative agenda.

“The good news is the B.C. Liberals now support childcare”, Horgan said, referring to the Liberals’ sudden pledge to create more child care spaces.

Christy Clark’s administration lost a confidence vote late Thursday afternoon after the NDP and Greens joined forces as anticipated.

“I’ve discharged my responsibility”, he said.

Horgan said it might take the rest of the summer to go through government transition documents and hold the necessary meetings ahead of calling assembly in the legislature.

“We knew this would be the outcome but it’s up to the lieutenant governor now”, said Foster. “The fentanyl crisis needs immediate attention, the softwood lumber agreement needs immediate attention, as does our public education system”.

“I also look forward to working with Premier-designate Horgan to implement the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as we renew Canada’s nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples”.

He has been the NDP’s recent critic for B.C. Hydro, the Crown corporation building the Site C dam.

“When we launched our election campaign, we promised to do politics differently”, Weaver said.

A government in perpetual survival mode put great stress on the Speaker and led the public to become deeply cynical of the politicians in power, according to Shawn Graham, who was Liberal leader at the time. As the presiding officer in the legislature, the Speaker did not vote.

Government briefing notes are expected to give the new NDP regime detailed options to implement those priorities, as well as estimates on costing, timing and other implications. “They turned over a couple rocks and found a billion dollars”.