Liberals kept Valley but lost government
In 2017, British Columbia had its first new government in 16 years after the New Democratic and Green parties teamed up to oust the BC Liberals from power.
Politics in the Okanagan Valley, however, didn’t change. The Liberals won every seat in the Valley.
Premier Christy Clark was easily re-elected in her riding of Kelowna West, collecting 59 per cent of all ballots cast, compared with 25 per cent for Shelley Cook of the NDP and 14 per cent for Green candidate Robert Mellalieu.
Clark’s future, however, was in question immediately following election night on May 9.
Anxious party members watched as the Liberals finished with 43 seats — one fewer than the 44 required for a majority. The NDP won 41 seats and the Green party had its best showing ever, winning three seats (all on Vancouver Island) and 16.8 per cent of the popular vote.
The outcome remained in question as Elections BC was unable to count absentee ballots until two weeks following election day. Although several ridings were close, no seats changed hands after official recounts.
On May 29, only 20 days after the election, Green Leader Andrew Weaver gave his support to John Horgan and the NDP. On June 29, a week after the legislature reconvened with what was dubbed a “clone speech,” Clark met with Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon in hopes of calling a new election. The lieutenant governor declined and invited Horgan to form government.
On July 28, at a caucus meeting held in Penticton, Clark resigned as party leader and Rich Coleman was officially introduced as the interim leader. Clark left Penticton without speaking with reporters.
“What she’s given to this province should never be forgiven,” Coleman said in a Freudian slip. “Forgotten.”
Coleman took the interim title, promising not to seek the party’s leadership.
In other races, Norm Letnick was re-elected in Kelowna-Lake Country (59.75 per cent); Steve Thomson, Kelowna-Mission (57 per cent); Eric Foster, VernonMonashee (47.9 per cent); Dan Ashton, Penticton (52.8 per cent); Greg Kyllo, Shuswap (55.8 per cent); and Linda Larson, Boundary-Similkameen (42.8 per cent).
Currently, the Liberals are in the midst of an emotional leadership contest to replace Clark. The six remaining hopefuls — Mike de Jong, Michael Lee, Todd Stone, Sam Sullivan, Dianne Watts and Andrew Wilkinson — debated in Kelowna on Dec. 2.
Ben Stewart, who resigned his seat in Kelowna West in 2013 to make room for Clark, is challenging for his old job in an upcoming byelection. His opponents include Cook and Robert Stupka of the Green party.