SMYTH: Weaver gets critical to keep distance from NDP
But Green leader insists that agreeing to disagree makes for healthy relationship
By agreeing to prop up B.C.’s new minority NDP government, Green Leader Andrew Weaver became the kingmaker, the guy who crowned John Horgan as premier.
But now the kingmaker is throwing haymakers at the Horgan government, smashing and bashing the NDP on a near-daily basis.
With so much Green fury directed his way, Horgan must be asking himself: With a friend like Weaver, who needs enemies?
The Green party boss was at it again on Friday, slamming Horgan’s decision to scrap tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges.
“Reckless and disappointing,” Weaver summed up the decision to eliminate the tolls, which delivered on one of the NDP’s key election promises. “It will add billions of dollars to taxpayer-supported debt.”
Weaver warned the move could result in a credit downgrade on the province’s debt, draining away resources from underfunded social programs.
And for what? So drivers can save a few bucks, belch more greenhouse gases into the air and further congest already clogged roads and highways, he complained.
“We will try to rally public opinion against it,” Weaver said.
Yes, this is the same Andrew Weaver who hung out at rugby games with Horgan and signed an agreement in May to support an NDP minority government, forcing Christy Clark’s Liberals out of power.
But Weaver said there’s nothing contradictory about supporting a government that does stuff he opposes.
“It’s our job to hold the government accountable,” Weaver said. “We’ll support good policy and we’ll call them out on bad policy.”
He sure is calling them out a lot, including:
NDP FUNDRAISING
The NDP promised to ban corporate and union donations to political parties, but not before they hold one last $525-a-plate fundraising dinner for Horgan at the Hotel Vancouver.
“It’s the final shakedown, pay-to-play politics,” Weaver fumed. “They say legislation is coming in the fall. But they have debts to pay off, so they’re going all-in in the meantime. Pretty outrageous.”
THE MINIMUM WAGE
The NDP announced a “fair wages commission” to study the province’s minimum wage, while vowing to boost it to $15 an hour by 2021 — a 43-per-cent increase over the existing $10.45 an hour.
Weaver is angry the government decided the outcome before the commission started its work.
“The commission was supposed depoliticize the issue and give an opportunity for input from a wide variety of stakeholders before substantive change. But if you’re already prescribing the outcome, the commission isn’t that useful.”
GRIZZLY-BEAR HUNTING
The NDP say they will ban “trophy hunting” for grizzly bears, meaning hunters will still be able to kill grizzlies for their meat.
“Hunters won’t be able to take the hide or head of a grizzly, but they can still take a photo of a dead bear,” Weaver said.
“That is the sought-after trophy in the modern era — the Instagram picture.”
By creating this loophole, the New Democrats have managed to anger people on both sides of the grizzly-hunting debate, Weaver said.
“They’ve done something quite extraordinary: they’ve alienated and offended environmental voters and hunters at the same time,” he said.
“Environmental voters thought they would ban grizzly-bear hunting, which they didn’t. And they offended hunters by saying you can take the meat of a grizzly bear, but not the hide or the head.”
But even though Weaver is so mad at the NDP over so many things, he insists the three Green party MLAs at the legislature will not break their promise to keep the minority government in power.
“Look, do we bring down the entire government over a botched policy on grizzly-bear hunting? Or do we bring our concerns to the attention of the general public and try to build public pressure on the NDP to correct it? “We think the latter option is the better way.” While Weaver’s whacks may sting, it’s not like the NDP don’t know they’re coming.
The official NDP-Green deal contains a “no surprises” clause that requires the New Democrats to tell Weaver what they’re going to do.
“It’s actually a very healthy working relationship,” Weaver said. “For example, they told us in advance about their fundraising dinner. We told them, ‘OK. We’re going to give you a lot of grief about that, because we think it’s wrong.’ “We just agree to disagree, with no animosity.” It reminds me of those old cartoons about the Ralph the Wolf and Sam the Sheepdog — enemies who beat each other up all day, punch the time clock, say good night and go home. And then do it all over again the next morning.
But what I really think is going on here is Weaver’s attempt to carve out a separate identity for himself and his Green party. Weaver doesn’t want to be seen as Horgan’s poodle, doing whatever the master commands.
I suspect you will see the NDP back down on some controversial policies opposed by Weaver — like the NDP’s promise to scrap secret ballots for union-certification votes.
If B.C. voters see that the minority government is functioning, they might be more inclined to support a proportional representation voting system, which would produce more minority election outcomes.
That’s the real prize for the B.C. Greens. A pro-rep system would elect more Green MLAs in the future.
Watch for Weaver to keep on bashing the NDP, but not vote the minority government out of power, at least not until the New Democrats deliver on their promised referendum on proportional representation next year.