Final Count — Liberals 43, NDP 41, Green Party 3
By Nelson Daily Staff
BC’s three political parties were all jockeying for position after Elections BC released the final numbers Wednesday following the May 9 Provincial vote.
After the final riding was tabulated, giving the NDP Courtenay-Comox by 189 votes, the count leaves the B.C. Liberals with 43 seats — one short of a majority — the NDP at 41 and the Green Party at 3.
Christy Clark said with her party winning 43 seats, the BC Liberals have the ‘responsibility to move forward and form a government,” Clark said in a statement.
Clark said the final result reinforces that British Columbians want us to work together, across party lines, to get things done for them.
“Our priority is to protect our strong economy and to manage BC’s finances responsibly, while listening closely to British Columbians on how we address important social and environmental priorities and how we can make BC politics more responsive, transparent, and accountable,” Clark said.
“The work is just beginning. My team and I look forward to delivering positive results for British Columbians.”
Of course, BC NDP leaders John Horgan sees a different version of results.
During his own media scrum, Horgan said British Columbians have voted overwhelmingly to replace Christy Clark’s Liberals with a new government that works better for families.
“They voted for better schools, shorter wait times for health services, to defend our coast and to fix our broken political system,” Horgan said.
“The newly elected BC NDP team will be working hard every day to ensure British Columbians get a new government that works for them instead of just the wealthy and well-connected.”
With no majority in the legislature, the BC Greens hold the balance of power.
Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party said his caucus is committed to ensuring that British Columbians will have a stable minority government.
“With this historic result, British Columbia can finally put the ineffective two-party system behind us. It has led to a divisive legislature that primarily benefits special interests,” Weaver said during media scrum Wednesday.
“This is an incredible opportunity for B.C.’s political leaders to put partisan differences aside and work for the common good. I look forward to working with both other parties so that we can finally get big money out of politics, move towards electoral reform and implement good public policy on a wide range of issues that puts people first.”
