HORGAN HAS SOME ADVICE

Premier’s federal counterparts should take heed as they face possible coalition

With the federal election campaign coming down to the wire and the opinion polls tightening up, Premier John Horgan was asked this week for his thoughts on governing with a minority.

“I’m good at that,” he told reporters Thursday. “I’ve got some experience.”

So he does. That very day Horgan had completed his 27th month at the head of a minority government, a longevity that would have surprised even some New Democrats on the day he took office.

Did the B.C. premier have any advice if no party ends up with a majority after the votes are cast Monday?

“I have been talking to a lot of people about what we were able to accomplish here in B.C. in concert with the Green party,” replied Horgan. “I’ve had calls from other jurisdictions.”

He mentioned Newfoundland and New Brunswick, provinces that ended up with minority governments after recent elections. (You think the last B.C. election was close? Newfoundland Premier Dwight Ball finished one seat short of a majority after a recount where his Liberal candidate was defeated by a mere two votes.)

“So I welcome Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Scheer, the irrepressible and extraordinary Jagmeet Singh, and Elizabeth May to contact me,” Horgan continued.

That bit about the “irrepressible and extraordinary” Singh was as close as the country’s only NDP premier came to expressing a preference for the federal leader of his party. Officially, Horgan endorsed none of the federal parties, since he’ll have to work with whichever one — or ones — end up in government.

But he wasn’t coy about saying how he voted himself, though he stumbled a bit in disclosing it.

“I have cast my ballot in the advance poll, and I voted for the green, pardon me, the orange team because I always vote for the orange team,” that being the NDP campaign colour. “I’m colour blind, and that’s why I made the mistake of pushing that out.”

So plain, old Langford resident John Horgan voted for New Democrat Alistair Macgregor in the federal constituency of Cowichan-malahat-langford.

Horgan then offered some advice for all the players in the late stages of Campaign 2019.

“Don’t close any doors. My mom told me a long, long time ago once you burn a bridge, you can never use it again,” said Horgan. “So my advice would be that all candidates of all parties focus on talking about the positive initiatives that they want to bring forward rather than condemning their opponents because the people you’re condemning today may well be your colleagues next week.”

Horgan knows whereof he speaks. The B.C. NDP and its now partner in power-sharing, the B.C. Green party, took few prisoners during the 2017 provincial election.

“Our campaign was relatively negative at the end,” the premier conceded. “That’s what happens.”

Things got personal between the leaders as well, especially after Green Leader Andrew Weaver tried to bait Horgan into losing his famous temper during one of the debates.

Thereafter, through talks on the power-sharing agreement, the two leaders discovered not just overlapping interests, but also that they liked each other.

Weaver has since tested Horgan’s patience. But the partnership wouldn’t have gone as smoothly or lasted as long without mutual respect.

Nor have the two leaders allowed their working relationship to be disrupted by the infighting between federal New Democrats and the Greens in the national campaign.

Had Horgan been so inclined this week, he might have drawn on his own experience for several more pieces of advice in advance of the federal results.

First, if the seat count is close on election night, wait for the final results. Two full weeks passed in 2017 before a recount confirmed that Premier Christy Clark had lost her majority by less than 200 votes in one riding.

Second, if negotiating a formal or informal agreement to share power with another party, know your would-be partner. Horgan didn’t give up much in talks with Weaver because he assumed that the Greens wouldn’t stand for their leader cutting a deal to keep the Liberals in power.

Third, don’t be distracted from the main objective.

Yes, Clark exercised her option to call the legislature into session and test whether she enjoyed the confidence of the House. But by then it was obvious she didn’t have the votes. Yes, a desperate Clark then advised Lt.-gov. Judith Guichon to call another election. But Guichon rejected the advice and called on Horgan.

He could rightly say he believed he had the confidence of the House because the New Democrats had already defeated the Liberals on four votes in partnership with the Greens.

Apart from good advice on taking power, Horgan could have some suggestions on keeping it.

He has enjoyed some good luck, from inheriting a strong economy, to the decision by Darryl Plecas to abandon the Liberals and serve as Speaker.

He’s lately hitting enough bumps to suggest the rest of the term won’t be as smooth as the first half.

Still, he remains relatively popular after 27 months and counting because he mostly emphasizes the positive and mostly governs with an eye to the future and not too much score-settling over the past.

Whatever else happens next week, the various players on the federal scene could learn a thing or two from what has gotten John Horgan this far.