Well, this is interesting: B.C. Green Party agrees to support NDP in the legislature.
The Greens and the NDP are said to have reached a four year agreement for the Greens to support the NDP on budget and confidence measures, for as yet undisclosed policy agreements.
That agreement puts the NDP/Greens at one seat more than a majority, and one more than the Liberals have.
The Lt Gov announced shortly after the election that she was not going to request Premier Clark’s resignation, but this agreement changes the situation. Clark has the right to meet the Legislature, but a quick defeat could well mean the NDP form government, with the Greens propping them up.
Wait and see what the BC political process pops up next.
It’s been an interesting few days.
The Greens and the NDP have publicly released their formal agreement for governing for the next four years: Historic Handshake: NDP-Green pact a first in Canadian history.
Apparently the Greens and the Liberals were also in negotiations, but the Greens decided that they had a better chance with the NDP:
• Inside the negotiations to determine B.C.’s next government
• How the B.C. Liberals squandered their chance to keep power
So all over but the shouting? Nope. Premier Clark has announced that she’s going to advise the Lieutenant Governor to summon the new Assembly and the Clark government will introduce a throne speech: Christy Clark won’t quit as B.C. premier, will recall house.
The speculation is that she’ll introduce a throne speech chock full of goodies from the NDP and Green platforms, to force them to vote against their own proposals for the sake of power. If the Government loses the vote on the throne speech, then the Lt Gov will call on the NDP/Greens to form a government.
Some commentators think this is a smart long-term move by Clark, to try and divide the coalition right from the start and lay the groundwork for a future challenge to the proposed NDP/Green government:
• David Anderson: Christy Clark’s imminent defeat could turn into victory
• Editorial: Clark is right to force a vote
Others are more critical: “Humble” Poor Loser Liberal Christy Clark Refuses to Do the Right Thing and Resign
But before all that, Clark has to get a Speaker elected: Rob Shaw: British Columbia’s next political quagmire is electing a Speaker of the legislature
And if the Assembly can’t agree on a new Speaker? That triggers a new election, because the most basic decision for the Assembly is to elect a Speaker to conduct daily business. If they can’t even do that, the Assembly is dysfunctional and the people need to sort it at the ballot box:
What if BC can’t elect a new Speaker?
All in all, a fascinating civics lesson in parliamentary democracy.
Fascinating indeed!
As an Ameridoper, I’d have to say the Comey firing got my undivided attention, but it’s interesting to now read about this local Canadian election. I’d never heard of Social Credit before: Social Credit Party of Canada - Wikipedia. And see here: Social credit - Wikipedia. I note that Douglas’s “vine and fig tree” quotation (1 Kings 4:25) was a favorite of George Washington’s, as well, in explaining the purpose of republican government.
And the Speaker issue has raised its head: B.C. faces challenge in search for Speaker.
According to the article, the Liberals have stated that none of their members is putting their name forward to be Speaker.
That means that the NDP/Greens have to elect a Speaker from their ranks, probably an NDPer, according to the article.
If so, that would reduce the parties to an exact tie: 43 seats on each side of the House, with the Speaker only voting in case of a tie. Lots of them, no doubt.
Now cometh Norman Spector, an old Socred/PC backroom boy, who says that the NDP/Greens are going to change the rules and make the Speaker a partisan position. Spector says it’s part of the deal the two parties struck.
Reps from the NDP and Greens are denying any plans to change the Speaker’s neutral role, and pointing out that since Spector wasn’t in the room when the NDP and Greens were negotiating, how can he say anything of value about this issue?
And then there’s the issue of the Deputy Speaker, the chairs of the Committees (traditionally from the government side) and so on.
More fun and games!