The Provincial Election is over and the electorate gasps as results indicate that no one (yet) really has the reins of power, and the two main parties may be wooing the Greens to form a government.
The discontent that has been felt in Metro Vancouver regarding accessibility, accountability, and bridge tolls and the vague disconnectedness between the hinterland and Metro Vancouver widened in terms of voting. The previous Provincial government had treated Metro Vancouver like the poor country cousin, someone who had to be told what to do (have a transportation referendum) and why they needed it (Massey Bridge, for congestion, you know) without substantive transparent process or explanation.
Last night, all three parties had their leaders come out with speeches that strangely all sounded like victory speeches. So let’s hope that is sincere and they start to work together-to compromise for Metro Vancouver’s best interests.
While the hinterland voted for the current government’s package of dams, pipelines and jobs, Metro Vancouver voting suggested that an alternative was being sought after. It’s certainly not a ringing endorsement for the Province to continue their “big business” plan in the lower mainland with pipelines, LNG plants, and industrial expansion.
The potential for a minority government means that all three parties need to compromise, actually work together to figure out the best policy and agenda to move forward for the region. It’s a very tall order, but compromise and working it out may achieve a new order for the Mayors’ Council and Metro Vancouver to be treated on a more equitable basis by the Province. It’s the only way forward to start addressing the sustainability of this important region, not just today but for future generations.
Indeed still too close to call but likely a minority government attempted by Liberals with possible tepid issue by issue Green support.
56%+ of popular voted NDP or Green. -6%+ for Greens. No wonder electoral reform is high on their list as it would mean about 12-14 seats, not just three.
Liberals 43 seats, NDP 41 and Greens 3.
However, an NDP led coalition with Green support a possibility too.
Sizeable early votes not counted for two more weeks ? What archaic system is that ?
The people have spoken: Bigger government to the rescue.
BC again unfortunately chose even higher taxes, more debt and higher unemployment over growth and prosperity. Memories of the devastating 1990’s under NDP leadership apparently fade fast. Housing affordability will not move one bit in the Lower Mainland.
Greens will be kingmakers. Electoral reform a big issue for them as are no more union or corporate donations. This also means they will assault oil, pipelines, Site C Dam, Massey Bridge .. demanding massive CO2 tax hikes, $15 minimum wage and an even bigger public sector with ever higher wages and benefits ! Thus: more axes or more debt, likely both.
I love Christy Clark’s optimism in her “victory” speech: A new opportunity for dialogue.
We shall see how it unfolds and what projects get cancelled and what ransoms get demanded. Taxes will probably go up. Debt & taxes, debt & taxes, debt & taxes to pay for all the ransom and concessions.
We might go back to the polls in a year.
http://www.vancouversun.com/election+2017+christy+clark+govern+with+minority/13357633/story.html
You may be proven wrong …. again. Of course evidence needn’t be so troublesome in a world of alternative facts.
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It’s unfortunate the BC Liberals hung on to Vancouver-False-Creek, the completeness of their rebuke by urban BC would have been better with a sweep. It amazes me that Clark could give her “victory” speech and not mention the affordability crisis, which was the main reason for so many BC Liberal seats being lost in Metro.
I can think of no quicker way for the Greens to disillusion their idealistic young voters than propping up Christy Clark.
There is no easy solution to the affordability issue in Vancouver besides free land or massive subsidies to builders. deleted as per editorial policy
Taxing foreign investors more will just create more tax revenue and reduce condo construction pacing. It will not affect prices meaningfully.
Green plus NDP combo will vastly reduce investments into BC and thus lower employment prospects, especially for young people asked to carry the future debt load !!
It will make affordability worse, not better.
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Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.
@ Bob, completely agree. I’d say this repudiation of the Clark government was also a reflection of the ineffective performance of local Liberal MLAs, the arrogance and disdain directed toward the mayors and TransLink, and the appropriation of 40% of tax revenue generated in the Metro while returning less. That basically is withholding infrastructure funding and making the Metro subsidize the province’s share by being forced to pay more than its anemic 10% share of tax revenue. One recent exception was transit funding, but that occurred only after the province was goaded by the level the feds committed just before the provincial election campaign began.
You could say we just had a second referendum, and the BC Libs paid dearly in the Metro for good reasons. I believe that puts to bed any further discussion on transit plebiscites unfairly forced on the big city and nowhere else. The people have spoken, and urbanites were not pleased.
While I agree with most of what you say, it’s also important to note many are crediting Horgan’s promise to axe tolls for part of the NDP’s success in Surrey. I’d suggest that if there is Green-NDP coalition they should axe the proposed Massey Bridge and promise to twin the tunnel, but untolled. Savings could go to reinstating express busses from south of the Fraser to downtown, for many commuters being dumped at Bridgeport and having to jostle for space on the overcrowded Canada Line is a disincentive to transit.
No tolls are so green, eh ?
deleted as per editorial policy. Green would be far higher gasoline taxes, far higher parking fees AND far higher road, bridge and tunnel tolls.
More of this e-biking here would be real green on shorter distances: http://www.drawdown.org/solutions/transport/electric-bikes .. but not for Fraser Valley.
Thomas, where in the Green policy book does it say anything about higher gas taxes, higher parking fees and higher road and bridge tolls? Greens are probably the most fiscally prudent of the bunch.
savings should go increasing capacity of canada line & extending it to Delta
Given the ALR, extending it to Delta isn’t practical. No point having expensive rapid transit through fields. That why I suggested bringing back express busses.
The urban-rural divide is now clearer than ever, and Christy helped widen it. Many of the comments following posted CBC and Globe & Mail news stories about the election results indicated absolute disdain for Metro Vancouver from the hinterlands. Several pointed out that city dwellers do not know much about rural areas. Maybe so, but I also read a huge amount of ignorance about the city and how important it is to the provincial economy. The next government must find ways to bridge that divide.
The overlap between the Green and NDP platforms is quite remarkable. I believe they have the basic working foundations of a coalition already in place. Andrew Weaver was interviewed on The National last night. I had to watch part of the following National broadcast to make sure I heard him right. He reiterated with passion that the deal breaker issues to the Greens backing another party were: i) to take the money out of politics; and ii) and to not allow more bitumen tankers in our waters. Redirecting LNG into renewables and a number of other issues on housing, instituting proportional representation, and raising the carbon tax are also on the table. He also said he will not be bribed with a cabinet seat, and said he didn’t leave his career as a climate scientist at its pinnacle just to be bought by the promise of a place in cabinet. The interview with Weaver starts about 10 minutes in:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational
For the life of me, I really don’t see Christy Clark agreeing to any of these negotiating points. If she does work something out with Weaver she will obviously be doing it as a temporary measure, all the while wielding that million watt instant fake smile of hers and issuing unbelievable comments about what a good environmentalist she is, and maybe purchase a couple of green sweaters for photo-ops in front of green trees while hugging bunnies. Meanwhile, she’ll keep the curtain closed on the bursting closet of her policies on fossil fuels, biding her time until she can stab the Greens in the back and try for another strong majority even though 59% of the vote this week went to the progressive side of the ledger.
Keep in mind when the final votes are counted she may form a very slim majority of one or two seats and cancel the need for an agreement with Weaver et al, which could collapse if a couple of MLAs get the flu and miss a crucial vote. The same applies to an NDP-Green government. It may be wise for both parties to hand out vitamins and surgical masks at the door to every meeting.
If the Greens and NDP are really serious about bringing the BC economy into the 21st Century they would negotiate a two or three-term agreement to stop competing with each other in every riding and run one candidate against the Liberals in key locations, therein likely attaining majority status until proportionality is fully realized. Three terms as a BC NDP-Green coalition government will potentially change the entire nation for the better by creating hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs in renewables (potentially over 150,000 in wind power alone), in construction around greatly expanded urban transit, lowering emissions remarkably, fostering innovation labs through directed educational institute funding in partnership with industry, and so on.
Lastly, the Libs record as supreme debt creators is unsurpassed. Moreover, they are masters at hiding it beyond the reach of annual budgets. In other words, the Libs do not care one whit that their grandchildren will be saddled with the enormous burden of paying it down, probably at much higher interest rates than today. The NDP of the 90s look like fiscal conservatives by comparison. I suggest that an NDP-Green government must also address debt reduction, even if that means enacting a dedicated debt reduction tax. If they can manage to create thousands of additional jobs in the renewable energy and construction sectors and value-added measures in sustainable resources like forestry, then moderating taxes won’t be a big issue within a healthy economy. The direct provincial debt is expected to reach almost $70B at the end of this fiscal year, and $78B next year. When contractual commitments are added, we’re looking at almost $200B.
Sustainability applies as much to the economy as it does to the environment. To suggest the NDP / Greens will blow it on fiscal issues is mythmaking when you look at the evidence.
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Continued strategy of preferring takers over makers all in the name of social justice, equality, fairness and of course, the environment. There is no price too high here to pay.
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BC has all of a sudden become a far more risky place to invest.
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http://vancouversun.com/storyline/b-c-election-2017-where-the-greens-align-or-dont-with-the-ndp-and-liberals-on-20-hot-topics
Time will tell. Even Enbridge (yes, THAT Enbridge) is sinking billions into renewables, much of them on Alberta. There are hundreds of world class wind power sites in BC …..