With the final count now in for the 2017 provincial election, British Columbia is headed for its first minority government since 1952–53. The Liberals have 43 seats (one shy of a majority); the NDP have 41; and the Green Party holds the balance of power with three seats.
“This is new territory for British Columbia, and certainly for me,” says Fraser-Nicola MLA-elect Jackie Tegart. “The message is much more collaboration; a style of work I’m very comfortable with. I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like in Victoria.”
On election night Tegart, the Liberal incumbent, held the Fraser-Nicola riding by 706 votes over NDP rival Harry Lali. However, once 1,152 absentee ballots in the riding were counted in late May, Tegart’s lead was cut to 592; slightly less than her margin of victory in the 2013 campaign, when the then-rookie provincial politician upset four-time MLA Lali by 614 votes.
In the 2017 election, Tegart finished with 6,597 votes (42 per cent of all votes cast in the riding); Lali with 6,005 (38.2 per cent); Green Party candidate Arthur Green with 2,517 (16 per cent); and Social Credit candidate Michael Henshall with 598 (3.8 per cent).
With no party holding a clear balance of power, the question becomes who the Green Party will throw its support behind. Green Party leader Dr. Andrew Weaver has been in negotiations with the Liberals and the NDP, and says he favours a partnership that will provide long-term stability rather than one that would trigger a no-confidence vote, and the possibility of another election within months.
With no party gaining the majority of seats, B.C. Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon must invite either the Liberals or the NDP to form a government. It is likely that she will turn first to Christy Clark’s Liberals, who won the most seats. With the support of the Greens, the Liberals would have 46 seats. Taking one away for the speaker of the house, and another for the committee of the whole chair, would still give the Liberals a bare majority of one seat.
“With 43 B.C. Liberal candidates elected as MLAs, and a plurality in the legislature, we have a responsibility to move forward and form a government,” says Clark. “The final result reinforces that British Columbians want us to work together, across party lines, to get things done for them.”
If a vote of non-confidence was held, and the Liberals lost, Guichon would then give John Horgan and the NDP the option of forming government. However, with only 44 seats (with Green support), and the necessity of appointing a speaker and a committee of the whole chair, the NDP would have 42 seats to the Liberals’ 43.
“The Premier has indicated that we have every intention of forming government,” says Tegart. “What that looks like is uncertain right now. The negotiations are ongoing. There’s certainly lots of speculation, but nothing solid right now. The bottom line is, as the representative for Fraser-Nicola, I’ll go to Victoria, we’ll do the work, and we’ll work with whatever is in place.
When The Journal asks if the increased support for the Green Party province-wide indicates voters tiring of the two established parties, Tegart says it’s hard to say.
“The last three or four years have been very interesting, politically, across the world. We’ve seen things I never imagined we’d see in my lifetime when it comes to political results. I think you only have to look south to see some unpredictability and instability.
“What I hope we’ll do is look at a way to provide stability for the people of British Columbia. What that might look like I don’t know at this point.”