There’s strength in numbers, and that verity was proven beyond a doubt in the so-called power-sharing agreement reached early this week by the B.C. NDP and Green Party.
When Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons was asked Tuesday to identify his party’s biggest concession to the Greens, it took him a few moments to cite a specific example.
Finally, he pointed to “the speed at which we would address some of the climate change concerns that the Green Party had and the speed at which we would increase the carbon tax” by $5 per tonne per year. Under the deal, the increase kicks in April 1, 2018. The NDP plan was to start the increase two years later, Simons said. “But I hasten to point out,” he added, “that we managed to ensure that rebates would be part of that process.”
Otherwise, Simons acknowledged that there was very little in the agreement “that looks like it’s any sort of concession,” explaining that the two parties had found “common ground” and “common language” in their negotiations.
From the Green standpoint, however, that just isn’t the case. They have conceded to a BC Utilities Commission review of the Site C dam project, which will continue without a work stoppage, making cancellation – which the Greens campaigned on – seem less likely, literally by the day.
They have conceded to the government holding a referendum on proportional representation, thus letting the public decide if the electoral system will change. “I’m glad that the Green Party saw the benefit of testing the will of the population on something this important and fundamental to our democracy,” Simons said, and we expect most people would agree – except, of course, the Greens, who campaigned against holding a referendum before changing the system.
One of the Greens’ most popular promises was to increase the foreign buyers’ property tax to 30 per cent and extend it province-wide. That’s off the table now, though NDP leader John Horgan pointed out that the two parties “did agree that speculation and money laundering are issues that we need to address quickly.”
Horgan also made it clear that the NDP will go ahead with the elimination of bridge tolls in Metro Vancouver. The Greens were all in favour of keeping the tolls. Leader Andrew Weaver said Tuesday that Greens don’t support eliminating the tolls but will support the budget. “It’s much bigger than tolls,” he said.
The Greens appealed to the public by being different, by being more principled than the established political parties – remember “no whipped votes” was the campaign mantra?
Now they’ve stepped out on a limb. They’re in a precarious place and in real danger of becoming politically redundant.
