Some answers to your questions and concerns as BC inches toward a new government

As the province’s political situation begins to take shape, many are still wondering what the agreement between the NDP and the Greens will mean for BC.

We asked UNBC political science lecturer Jason Morris for some insight.

Minority governments: Good or bad?

While many people fear minority governments, Morris says they can foster cooperation in the legislature.

“When even shutting down the legislature for the day typically requires a majority vote, there can be a lot more discussion going on to try to articulate and represent the views of British Columbians.”

But he acknowledges there are a lot of potential pitfalls ahead for a minority government and maybe especially for the Green caucus.

“Minority governments don’t tend to get as much done and this plan of the BC NDP and the BC Greens is probably even more ambitious than some majority governments would attempt. With [the Green Party’s] still small caucus size, they won’t be given, to my understanding, ministerial representation and they might soon feel like they’re a little bit dwarfed by the larger caucus of the BC NDP in terms of influence.”

Morris says minority governments typically run well for about two years but reaching a full four year term is trickier.

Challenging the house, choosing a speaker

What about our incumbent Premier? Some have criticized Christy Clark’s decision to force a vote of confidence in the legislature but Morris says Clark is within her rights.

“She still remains the premier so long as the legislature and the lieutenant governor agree to that. What she will certainly be facing is a challenge within her party to retain the leadership.”

There’s also been some speculation as to who will hold the position of Speaker of the House. The speaker is elected by secret ballot and is usually from whichever party forms the government. When the NDP and Greens work together, they’ll hold a majority in the legislature but only of one seat.

So if a Green or NDP MLA becomes speaker, the legislature will be deadlocked. While the Speaker is called upon to break ties, there’s been speculation that the NDP and Greens may try to elect a Liberal speaker. Some have called that move undemocratic but Morris disagrees.

“I wouldn’t say it’s undemocratic.The role of the speaker is like the mediator or the chairperson of the business of the legislature and, as such, can come from any party.”

Both federal and provincial legislatures have had opposition speakers in the past when there’s been a minority government.

A ‘South of 50’ government?

Many residents of northern BC aren’t thrilled at the idea of an NDP Green government.

UNBC Political Science lecturer Jason Morris says the parties will have their work cut out for them, dealing with northern economics.

“Historically, northern BC has been of an economy that is natural resource based and it can be very challenging to diversify beyond that when the area has never been really about that.”

He says John Horgan should take the lessons of his party’s past to heart.

“Surely Horgan could remember the last time his party was in power in the 1990s, the severe challenges with balancing environmental and logging considerations that even led to a storming of the legislature and damage and violence.”

Both Horgan and Weaver were criticized for not spending much time ‘North of the 50th” during the campaign.