Premier Christy Clark is stalling and hanging onto power by refusing to keep a legislature speaker in place after her government is defeated, NDP leader John Horgan and B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver say.
The NDP-Green alliance would sacrifice its one-seat advantage once the B.C. Liberal minority government is defeated, expected to take place by June 29 or shortly after.
Horgan worked out a deal with Weaver after the May 9 election to vote down the upcoming B.C. Liberal throne speech and support an NDP government on key votes.
Speaking to reporters at the B.C. legislature Wednesday, Weaver said if Clark has directed the other 42 B.C. Liberal MLAs to refuse to serve as speaker for an NDP government, itB次元官网网址檚 an offence against parliamentary tradition.
B次元官网网址淭he premier quotes tradition but doesnB次元官网网址檛 follow it,B次元官网网址� Weaver said.
Horgan said the paralysis of government since the start of the election campaign in April is hurting the economy and stability of the provincial government.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a partisan problem with the current premier,B次元官网网址� Horgan said. B次元官网网址淚 would say itB次元官网网址檚 a problem of character and ethics.B次元官网网址�
B.C. Liberal MLA Andrew Wilkinson said the governing party is required to ensure that a speaker is elected in a free vote of all MLAs, the first order of business when the legislature session convenes on June 22. It is up to that individual to decide if he or she will continue in that job if the government is defeated and opposition parties take over, he said.
B次元官网网址淲e all know that the NDP deal with the Greens gives the NDP enough seats to seize power, but there are some very valid questions that remain unanswered about the stability of the NDP-Green deal and whether they actually do have a workable majority,B次元官网网址� Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson was appointed justice minister and took the cabinet oath of office Monday along with Clark and 20 others, a full-scale cabinet to prepare for a throne speech expected on June 22.
Horgan and Weaver said the extensive preparations for a government likely to last only a week are tactics by Clark to cast doubt on the viability of the Green-NDP alliance.
B次元官网网址淚f ever there was an example as to why we need a change now, itB次元官网网址檚 the antics, shenanigans, delay and distraction that have gone on since the election,B次元官网网址� Weaver said.
Clark said it is her responsibility as the incumbent, and the leader with the most seats, to be prepared to govern if the B.C. Liberals survive a confidence vote on their throne speech.
