Former B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver knows what it’s like to form a minority government with the NDP, but says such a deal to form the province’s next government is less likely this time than seven years ago.
Weaver struck a power-sharing agreement that resulted in John Horgan’s NDP minority government in 2017, but says there is now more animosity between the two parties.
Neither the NDP nor the B.C. Conservatives secured a majority in Saturday’s election, raising the prospect of a minority NDP government if Leader David Eby can get the support of two Green legislators.
But Weaver says current Green Leader Sonia Furstenau will be harder to “sidle up to” after what he describes as “four years of political sniping” between the Greens and the NDP in the B.C. legislature.
Weaver, who is no longer a member of the Greens and endorsed a Conservative candidate in his home riding, says Eby would be in a better position to negotiate if Furstenau, who lost her seat, stepped aside as party leader.
He says Furstenau’s loss puts the two elected Greens in an “awkward position” because parties “need the leader in the legislature.”
He says Furstenau could resign as Leader or one of the elected Greens could step down and let her run in a byelection in their riding.
The Green victories went to Rob Botterell in Saanich North and the Islands and Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
Eby said in his election-night speech that he had already reached out to Furstenau and highlighted common “progressive values” between their parties.
Furstenau said in her concession speech that her party was poised to play a “pivotal role” in the legislature.
Botterell said in an interview that he was “totally supportive of Sonia” and he would “do everything I can to support her and the path forward that she chooses to take because that’s her decision.”
The final results of British Columbia’s election won’t be known until at least next week.
Elections BC says manual recounts will be held on Oct. 26 — 28 in two ridings where NDP candidates led B.C. Conservatives by fewer than 100 votes after the initial count ended on Sunday.
The outcome in Surrey City Centre and Juan de Fuca-Malahat could determine who forms government.
The election’s initial results have the NDP elected or leading in 46 ridings, and the B.C. Conservatives in 45, both short of the 47 majority mark in B.C.’s 93-seat legislature.
If the Conservatives win both of the recount ridings and win all other ridings where they lead, Rustad will win with a one-seat majority.
If the NDP holds onto at least one of the ridings where there are recounts, wins the other races it leads, and strikes a deal with the Greens, they would have enough numbers to form a minority government.
But another election could also be on the cards, since the winner will have to nominate a speaker, reducing the government’s numbers in the legislature by one vote.
Elections BC says it will also be counting about 49,000 absentee and mail-in ballots from Oct. 26 to 28.
The NDP went into the election with 55 ridings, representing a comfortable majority.
