Election blame game underway
Clark wants to blame the NDP and Greens if province goes back to polls
Christy Clark keeps saying that nobody wants another election in British Columbia. But when her Liberal government is defeated on a non-confidence vote on Thursday, there will be only two options available to Lt.Gov. Judith Guichon.
Guichon can ask NDP Leader John Horgan to form a new government, supported by the third-place Green party. Or she can call another election. In an astonishing news conference on Wednesday, Clark made it clear which option she favours.
“It’s hard to suggest that this place is working now and it’s hard to suggest that it would be working in the future,” Clark said outside the legislature. “It’s hard to see that path.”
Clark said she intends to immediately meet with Guichon when the government is defeated. She said if the lieutenant-governor asks for her opinion, Clark will give it.
“I’m not going to lie to the lieutenant-governor,” Clark said. “I’m going to tell her what I really think.
“It is not a functional place. The Greens and the NDP are just not interested in collaborating. It hasn’t been working, and I’m going to have to tell her that.”
The NDP-Green coalition has 44 seats in the legislature. Clark’s Liberals have 43. That’s a one-seat majority for the NDP-Greens in the 87-seat house.
But Clark said that majority does not appear big enough to produce a stable NDP-Green government.
“I haven’t seen any evidence that they have the numbers that they need to actually govern,” Clark said.
“This isn’t a working legislature. And I haven’t seen any evidence that it could work. That’s the advice that I have to give her. It has to be an honest conversation.”
So Clark is going to advise Guichon to call another election, right? Wrong. Clark said she won’t tell the L-G what to do, even though any premier has the constitutional right to request an election from the L-G.
“I’m going to let her make that call,” Clark said. “It’s not my intention to advise her whether or not to call an election. That’s her decision.”
But it’s difficult to interpret Clark’s comments as anything other than a demand for another election. So why doesn’t she just ask Guichon to call one?
Because even though Clark clearly wants a new election, she doesn’t want to take the blame for one being called, that’s why.
The Liberals are afraid voters will punish them for forcing a snap summer election that polls suggest most people don’t want.
Instead, Clark wants to blame the NDP and the Greens for the election.
Last week, the Liberals introduced a topsy-turvy throne speech that copy-catted a long list of NDP campaign promises that will cost an additional $2.6 billion to deliver.
Mike de Jong, the Liberal finance minister, said Wednesday the government has found enough money to pay for it all because the B.C. economy is so strong.
But Clark said the NDP and the Greens are set to vote down the throne speech anyway, and “possibly” trigger an election call by Guichon. If Guichon does call a new election, you can bet Clark will then tell voters the NDP and the Greens caused it, not her.
Why does Clark think an NDP Green government would not work? She said an NDP MLA will have to serve as the Speaker, and the Speaker does not vote accept to break a tie.
That would reduce the party standings in the legislature to a 43-43 deadlock, with the “non-partisan” Speaker forced to vote over and over again to break tie after tie.
Steve Thomson, the current Liberal-appointed Speaker, issued a fourpage letter on Wednesday arguing such a situation would break the rules and conventions of the legislature.
Clark seized on it, saying it should worry Guichon.
“As the representative of the sovereign, her job is to make sure the legislature is stable, make sure that this place can work and make sure the democratic processes that have been in place for 600 years in the British parliamentary system are respected,” Clark said.
Of course, the NDP and Greens scoffed at all this, saying it’s just a last-ditch effort by Clark to cling to power.
Horgan said he’s ready to become premier, and insisted the NDPGreen coalition would work.
“There is a majority of support on one side of the house,” Horgan said. “We should be given an opportunity to govern.”
Horgan was asked what he thinks Guichon will do.
“I’m hopeful that she’ll do the right thing,” he said.
He thinks that “right thing” is for him to become premier, especially if Clark is not asking the L-G for another election.
But Clark’s comments have now placed enormous pressure on Guichon to call that election, even though Clark is not coming right out and asking for it.
It will all come down to Guichon, a cattle rancher who must wade through a lot of bull and decide what’s best for B.C.