Swearing in of Clark, Liberal cabinet a ‘joke’, says political scientist

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VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet will be sworn-in today in what is expected to be a short-lived Liberal government.

The swearing-in at Government House in Victoria comes in advance of the start of the legislature on June 22.

Most political observers, like SFU political scientist David Moscrop, say this is a necessary but ultimately pointless step.

“This is Clark’s chance to try to show voters what they’re going to miss, what they’re giving up by going with the NDP-Green arrangement. So in that sense, there’s a political reason to do it,” he says.

Clark will have to replace at least six cabinet ministers after Terry Lake and Bill Bennett didn’t run again, while Amrik Virk, Peter Fassbender, Suzanne Anton and Naomi Yamamoto lost their seats in the election.

Moscrop wonders who Clark can convince to sign on to positions that will probably only last two to three weeks.

“It’s a joke. It’s a necessary joke, but it’s still a joke.”

Clark has said she intends to test her government and present a throne speech, but she also said she expects to lose the confidence vote that would follow.

No political party secured a majority after last month’s provincial election, and the three Green members have placed their support behind the New Democratic Party, giving that coalition 44 seats to the Liberals 43.

Because the Liberals have the most seats of any one party, parliamentary convention requires that Clark and her ministers receive the first chance to form government.

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