MIKE SMYTH: Christy Clark’s procedural games make her look foolish
B.C. Liberals face rejection twice in ‘first-reading’ stage, before debate can even begin
VICTORIA — B.C.’s weakened Liberal government suffered its first taste of defeat after almost 16 years of majority political dominance Monday, setting the stage for the party’s ultimate ouster from office later this week.
The Liberals were outvoted on two bills in the legislature, including one that reversed the party’s long-standing opposition to banning corporate and union donations for political parties.
An alliance of NDP and Green MLAs, which hold a one-vote margin over the Liberals, rejected even debating the Liberal bills and instead called for the government’s immediate removal.
In a mark of how bizarre B.C.’s political situation has become since the close May 9 election results, it’s believed to be the first time in the province’s history that a government bill has been defeated in the “first-reading” stage, which effectively kills it before it’s ever even read in the legislature.
“This is not a session about the premier testing legislation, this is about testing the confidence of the House, that’s why we are here, that’s why we should get on with it,” said NDP Leader John Horgan. “If the premier keeps wanting to introduce NDP platform planks, that’s fine. But I think the NDP would be better at doing that. And that’s why we should have a confidence vote.”
But Premier Christy Clark refused to help accelerate her political demise.
“No British Columbians want another election,” she said. “Let’s get on with the business of government, let’s make sure the throne speech gains the confidence of this House … and we’ll make sure we can continue with the strongest economy anywhere in Canada.”
Horgan tabled an amendment of non-confidence in Clark’s throne speech Monday. The NDP called for unanimous support of the legislature to have a snap vote, but the Liberals were opposed.
The earliest confidence vote under legislature rules is now set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. If the Liberal government falls, Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon could call upon Horgan to form a new government or call a new election.
In the meantime, the Liberals are set to debate a throne speech they introduced last week, which saw a shift in more than two dozen policy positions that the Liberals hadn’t campaigned on before the May 9 election.
Critics inside and outside the Liberal party questioned the abrupt shift.
Rich Coleman, the deputy premier and MLA for Langley East, disputed any friction within the Liberal free-enterprise coalition, specifically with fiscal conservatives worried about the unspecified cost of all the new promises.
“My feedback from my supporters, which you would consider probably the conservative area of the province, has been very strong,” he said.
In a sign of disdain, the NDP and Greens offered only one MLA each to debate the Liberal throne speech, refusing to participate otherwise. The Liberals are to speak for three days on their own speech.