Minority government better for B.C., says Green leader

Green Leader Sonia Furstenau has made a pitch for another minority government, saying minority governments create more transparency, accountability and collaboration.

The NDP minority government has been supported by the Greens in a formal agreement for the past 3½ years.

“I think there was a lot of evidence to show that it has been beneficial for British Columbians to have a minority government — to have parties working across party lines, and have initiatives coming forward from different parties, to have different perspectives and voices at the table,” said Furstenau.

In the 2017 election, when the Greens made a historic breakthrough with then-leader Andrew Weaver and won three seats, they ran a slate of 83 candidates in 87 ridings.

In two previous elections — in 2005 and 2009 — the Greens ran a full slate of candidates. Both times, they failed to win a seat.

In calling the snap election, Horgan said there was a need for a majority government in troubled times, which includes the COVID-19 pandemic.

At her Victoria campaign stop, Furstenau insisted the Greens were the only party serious about dealing with climate change.

She heavily criticized the decision supported by the NDP and the Liberals to move forward with the up to $40-billion Canada LNG project in northwest B.C.

The project will bring natural gas from northeast B.C. to Kitimat where it will be liquefied and put on ships for export to new markets such as Asia.