The election is over – well at least in Burnaby.
It will be a couple of weeks before the final provincial tally is in – and, of course, there may be challenges and recounts as well.
At press time on Thursday it was Liberals 43, NDP 41 and Greens 3.
But that could change.
With the province being virtually split, the Greens will play an instrumental role in terms of policy and legislation in the future.
Will Andrew Weaver be a model of principled politics and use his party’s votes to support Green policies, or will he use them as strategic chess pieces in a power struggle? Can he put what appeared to be personal differences between he and John Horgan behind him? Or will he succumb to the age-old game of ‘let’s see what I can get out of this for myself.’ Of course, pundits are already saying the Liberals won’t last long in any scenario, but no one should underestimate Christy Clark. She has shown incredible skill as a tough-as-nails campaigner and party leader. She has not held on to her position by singing kumbaya in caucus meetings. She has had to be pretty cold-blooded to survive and keep her party in line. Remember, she won the Liberal party leadership with a lone supporter, former Burnaby MLA Harry Bloy. She was not one of the boys, and she has learned the hard way how to hang on to what she has worked to acquire. With a big majority prior to this election, she could pretty much drive her own agenda at whatever speed she wanted. And she did, but can she handle the more delicate machinations of a split legislature with a Green party wagging its finger at her? Can she abide two ‘mansplainers’ lecturing her? Can she be patient and strategic? Can she accept that there will be a need for deals to be done that may upset her loyal supporters but could earn her new ones in the process? Will she survive this test? So far, she’s saying all the right things. But actually doing it will require a lot of restraint.
Jonina Campbell, the Green candidate in New Westminster told our sister paper the Record there are certain things the Greens will not waver on. Campbell said: “We have two deal breakers: proportional representation/electoral reform and campaign financing reform.”
A new electoral system is something the NDP agrees with – but Clark has shown no appetite for. Can she pivot and agree with the Greens to block potential Green-NDP alliances? Only time will tell.
