John Horgan and Andrew Weaver after signing an agreement in 2017 (image credit - Global)

By Michael Reeve

NEW AGREEMENT

‘Once bitten, twice shy’; Kamloops MLA questions BC Greens’ willingness to sign on with NDP

Dec 13, 2024 | 4:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — The NDP were set to begin governing with am even 46-to-46 split with the two opposition parties, excluding the speaker, before striking a deal with the Greens this week to stabilize the legislature.

The two parties are calling it a ‘Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord.’ In short, it’s a document that sets out shared policy initiatives while ensuring the Green vote in lock step with the New Democrats on confidence motions.

For Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, the title doesn’t truly fit the agreement, seeing it more as a coalition.

“We are going to our job as a group of 44,” said Milobar, speaking of the BC Conservative caucus. “It’s unfortunate that you see the Greens will be getting confidential briefings at a ministerial level and we can’t even get an answer like a simple date a document will get released ahead of time. I think people tire of what they will see as a bit of an inequity of what two seats are being provided versus, say, 44 in opposition.”

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It’s not the first time the BC Greens and NDP have joined forces, signing a supply and confidence agreement in 2017 to govern the house in a minority situation before the NDP ignored the document to call an early election and seize power. This time, the NDP hold a one-seat majority, placing the agreement into different waters.

“The irony in all this is the Greens were to espouse that they are all about wanting to have collaborative governance. Well, a majority of only one seat would, by default, force the government to be much more moderate and work together. Instead, what we see now is essentially a document that confers benefit to the Green Party but not really the broader public of British Columbia.”