Liberals promote Throne Speech ahead of confidence vote

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – MLAs are back in the legislature and if today’s session is anything like Monday’s, you can expect a whole lot of nothing to get done.

The opposition parties are refusing to even read new legislation, and the governing Liberals have been unwilling to expedite a confidence vote.

BC NDP Leader John Horgan has already submitted a motion to amend the Throne Speech with the line, “but her honour’s present government does not have the confidence of this House.”

A vote on that is likely to come after Thursday’s session, and the Liberals are expected to lose.

SFU Political Scientist David Moscrop says at that point things will start to happen pretty fast. “The lieutenant-governor needs to have a premier, that’s her job. So, when one is effectively forced to resign, another needs to be appointed.”

Hypothetically, John Horgan could become the premier as early as this week, but Moscrop says it’s more likely he’ll be sworn in next week.

Until Thursday though, Liberal MLA Andrew Wilkinson says they’re going to keep trying to govern with their minority. “It’s a chance to move British Columbia ahead for the benefit of all British Columbians and if that means changing policies, that’s a good thing.”

Yesterday, bills granting the BC Green Party official party status and a ban on corporate and union donations did not even pass first reading in the House. “That I don’t think was a good thing,” Wilkinson says. “It’s a lost opportunity and apparently it means the NDP is looking forward to an unstable government under their leadership and they want the campaign financing rules to be the old rules.”

Every single member of the House has the chance to speak about the Throne Speech for 30 minutes. “It’s theatre,” explains Moscrop. “There’s always a little bit of theatre involved in the Legislature, but this is purely theatre, because [the Throne Speech] is never going to pass, and everybody knows it’s never going to pass.”

Last month’s contentious election saw the Liberals win 43 seats, one seat short of a majority, but the combined seat totals of the NDP, with 41 seats, and the Greens, with three seats, gives them 44 seats in the 87-seat legislature.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today