Christy Clark’s Liberals were barely re-elected Tuesday to B.C.’s first minority government since 1952, with the Greens poised to hold the balance of power.
Election night saw the Liberals’ early lead diminish as John Horgan’s NDP narrowed the gap by picking up new seats in Metro Vancouver, finishing with 41 seats compared to the Liberals’ 43. In a breakthrough for Andrew Weaver’s Greens, the party won three seats, all on Vancouver Island.
With recounts expected in some ridings and absentee ballots not counted for two weeks, there is still a possibility that the final outcome could change.
Based on the current results, the Greens could prop up the Liberals or form a coalition with the NDP, as 44 seats are needed for a majority.
Weaver, speaking to supporters Tuesday night, said the Greens could work with either party but he did not indicate a preference. The party’s first priority, he said, will be removing big money from politics.
The LNG industry is a nonstarter, he told reporters later.
“LNG is not happening, so let’s move on to the new economy,” Weaver said.
Preliminary results from Elections BC showed the Liberals with 40.84 per cent of the popular vote, the NDP with 39.86 per cent, the Greens with 16.74 per cent and other parties with 2.55 per cent.
Clark, noting the Liberals had won both the popular vote and the most seats, told party supporters in Vancouver Tuesday night that it was her “intention to continue to lead British Columbia.” She also predicted the Liberals would strengthen their margin of victory after absentee ballots are counted.
Horgan told NDP supporters that the majority of British Columbians had voted for a new government and he cited positions the NDP shared with the Greens, such as banning corporate and union donations, proportional representation and action on climate change.
Liberal cabinet ministers who were defeated Tuesday included Peter Fassbender in Surrey-Fleetwood, Suzanne Anton in Vancouver-Fraserview, Amrik Virk in Surrey-Guildford and Naomi Yamamoto in North Vancouver-Lonsdale.
Liberal incumbent Jordan Sturdy held on to his West Vancouver-Sea to Sky seat, despite strong showings by both the Greens and NDP.
Along with Weaver’s Oak Bay-Gordon Head seat, the Greens picked up Cowichan Valley and Saanich North and Islands.
When the campaign kicked off April 11, the Liberals held 47 of the Legislature’s 85 seats, the NDP had 35, the Greens one and there was one independent.
