Greens ‘very, very close’ on power-sharing deal: Weaver
VICTORIA B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver says he’s “very, very close” to a power-sharing deal with either the NDP or Liberal party that would determine the fate of the future B.C. government.
Weaver reiterated to reporters Friday he’ll have a decision by Wednesday, when the writs are returned to the lieutenant-governor signalling the formal end of the May 9 election.
Support from the Green party’s three MLAs is necessary for either the Liberals or NDP to form a government that could survive confidence votes in the legislature.
“We’ve promised to give people certainty, and we will give them certainty before the writ is returned to the lieutenant-governor,” Weaver said.
“That has been our goal all along and we’re very, very close with both the B.C. Liberals and the B.C. NDP.”
The Liberals negotiated with the Greens on Thursday, while the NDP negotiated with the Greens on Friday.
Weaver said he’ll spend the weekend attending the HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens rugby tournament in Langford.
“There is a lot of commonality between the three parties,” Weaver said, declining to name specifics.
“You’d never see that in question period, you’d never see that in the entrenched attitudes people have had towards each other.”
Weaver said his priority remains a long-term stable deal for a government of two, three, or even four years. To get there, “without any doubt” the parties will compromise on their election platforms, he said, and not get everything they want.
“In any negotiation compromise is critical,” he said. “So you’re not going to see our platform, or any other party’s platform, because there has to be compromise.”
He also said a long-term deal is important to show voters that not only can a minority government work, but also a move to proportional representation would work as well. The Greens want to change the electoral system. The NDP first wants a referendum on the issue.
“You can’t really, on the one hand, campaign and say that you know you can make proportional representation work if you can’t make a minority government work,” Weaver said.
Weaver said negotiations will also cover how the legislature’s Speaker is elected and breaks tie votes, as well as changes to the rules to make it easier to operate in a narrow minority.
An NDP-Green agreement would yield 44 seats in an 87-seat legislature, whereas a LiberalGreen agreement would yield 46. Both are do-able margins, Weaver insisted.
He also said the personalities of the leaders are an important factor in working together.