When will the BC Election be called?

[Damaged]

I almost wish Clark would still be Premier when the massive shit dam she and her party have created bursts. Unfortunately, the new government will get the blame, and the Liberals will spin it like they did the Fast Ferries. And some of you will believe them...https://omny.fm/shows/the-jon-mccomb-show/from-the-thrifty-to-the-shifty

Could you please explain the "Liberal Spin" they did on the fast ferries? That seems to me to be completely the NDP's doing.

 

[thodisipagal]

Mike Smyth has an article on what he thinks Christy is up to, I agree with him. The problem, for Christy, is that Lt-Gov Guichon may or may not buy what Christy is selling.

Making the Greens vote against legislation that they said they would support a few days ago is another plank in Christy's election platform.

Mike Smyth's article: http://theprovince.com/news/bc-politics/mike-smyth-ndp-greens-close-in-on-christy-clarks-liberals


Lt.-Gov. Guichon faces decision with few precedents assuming Liberals fall http://www.theprovince.com/news/loc...ts+assuming+liberals+fall/13550559/story.html

1) Clark will lose the confidence of the house on Thursday.

2) Clark is on record of talking about the possibility of an election. If LG calls an election instead of inviting Horgan to form the government, that will be a travesty of democracy. In our democracy, a minority or a coalition government is as legitimate as a majority government. (How long such a government lasts is an entirely different matter).

3) The two defeated government bills in legislature yesterday was a pathetic, desperate and cheap gimmick on the part of Clark to try to hang on to power. NDP and Green Party didn't take the bait; they are not fools.

4) For anybody to suggest, within PERB or in the media, that Clark can and will use NDP/Green votes against the two bills yesterday and the Throne Speech on Thursday against NDP and the Greens in a future election is absurd. It's more likely that NDP and the Greens will paint the defeated bills and the Throne Speech -- which are examples of what desperate measures Clark is willing to embrace against party principles and policies for her personal ambition -- as a desperate and unethical attempt by the BC Liberals to hang on to power, which will be a powerful campaign narrative in future election.

 

[Cock Throppled]

Could you please explain the "Liberal Spin" they did on the fast ferries? That seems to me to be completely the NDP's doing.

When all was said and done, the fast ferries showed a net loss of $52 million on the books. Not great, but nowhere near the disaster the Liberals paint it. And have been exploiting for 25 years. Also, the ferries were sold off for a song by Gordon Campbell to make the whole issue look even worse and to score political points. Washington Marine Group, a big Liberal donor, scored the winning bid and re-sold them for a huge profit for them, while Campbell ensured BC taxpayers took the loss. The boats are still in operation in Abu Dahbi. The facts are, the Fast Ferries fiasco pales in comparison to the huge over-runs and waste of a lot more recent Liberal-overseen projects like -
1. Port Mann Bridge/Hwy 1 widening: came in 550% over initial estimate.
2. BC Place Stadium roof upgrade: another 514% over initial estimate. (This was a case, similar to the fast ferries, where people were in place who had no idea what they were doing.)
3. Northwest Transmission Line: - 182% over initial estimate.
4. Vancouver Convention Centre: oops - 178% over initial estimate.
5. South Fraser Perimeter Road: seeing a theme?- 169% over initial estimate.
Now they've got $9 Billion committed to the un-needed Site C dam, which will undoubtedly become much more, and the same will happen to the equally un-needed $3.5 Billion Massey Bridge. These are supposed to be the best money managers?

 

[rlock]

Mike Smyth has an article on what he thinks Christy is up to, I agree with him. The problem, for Christy, is that Lt-Gov Guichon may or may not buy what Christy is selling.

Mike Smyth's article: http://theprovince.com/news/bc-politics/mike-smyth-ndp-greens-close-in-on-christy-clarks-liberals

Read that article too. It's important to note that Guichon was a Stephen Harper appointee. Much depends on how she reads things, and people should remember the GG's actions during federal "prorogation / coalition crisis" from several years ago.



Is Christy Clark using those proposed changes to government policy as bait for some trap? Absolutely.

The problem with someone like Clark (devious, callous, & insincere) is that once you've used every dirty trick in the book, nobody will trust you. Such distrust means that a lot of other, more cooperative, options are just not on the table for her government. Instead, the opposition are determined drive a stake through the heart of her government, and so it can never rise again.


If she was - let's face it - another sort of leader, then even with a situation like this in the legislature, there would be some hope of the parties working together with some sort of compromise.

Of course, another sort of leader would not have caused this turn of events in the first place.

4) For anybody to suggest, within PERB or in the media, that Clark can and will use NDP/Green votes against the two bills yesterday and the Throne Speech on Thursday against NDP and the Greens in a future election is absurd.

Whether it is absurd or not depends on whether the public are actually fooled by such rhetoric.

 

[Bridge]

It would be interesting to find out how close Guichon and Clark are? The next few days will be very interesting constitutionally speaking.

1) Clark will lose the confidence of the house on Thursday.

2) Clark is on record of talking about the possibility of an election. If LG calls an election instead of inviting Horgan to form the government, that will be a travesty of democracy. In our democracy, a minority or a coalition government is as legitimate as a majority government. (How long such a government lasts is an entirely different matter).

3) The two defeated government bills in legislature yesterday was a pathetic, desperate and cheap gimmick on the part of Clark to try to hang on to power. NDP and Green Party didn't take the bait; they are not fools.

4) For anybody to suggest, within PERB or in the media, that Clark can and will use NDP/Green votes against the two bills yesterday and the Throne Speech on Thursday against NDP and the Greens in a future election is absurd. It's more likely that NDP and the Greens will paint the defeated bills and the Throne Speech -- which are examples of what desperate measures Clark is willing to embrace against party principles and policies for her personal ambition -- as a desperate and unethical attempt by the BC Liberals to hang on to power, which will be a powerful campaign narrative in future election.

 

[sdw]

Vaughn Palmer has his thoughts on Christy's moves:

http://vancouversun.com/opinion/col...lop-in-waiting?iframe=true&theme_preview=true

Vaughn Palmer: Clark schemes, dreams NDP-Green alliance is a flop-in-waiting

VICTORIA — Most days, B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon is preoccupied with the viceregal and symbolic roles of an office that is, to be sure, mostly ceremonial.

This is not one of those days.

On Thursday, Guichon, the Nicola Valley rancher who has served as B.C.’s 29th lieutenant-governor since 2012, faces one of the tougher judgment calls in the long history of the office.

Moreover the decision is tougher than it needs to be because of the antics of one of the more cunning partisans ever to serve as premier of this province, Christy Clark.

For weeks, Clark and her inner circle have schemed to contrive a dilemma for Guichon, all the while pretending they were doing nothing of the kind.

Once the NDP and Greens struck an accord to work together at the end of May, Clark acknowledged the likelihood that they would combine to defeat her government on a confidence motion in the legislature.

Asked about the job of Opposition leader, she said she was quite prepared to take it on. She even professed to be looking on the bright side of the reduced workload, quoting son Hamish as saying perhaps their household could now get a dog.

Clark also maintained that in the event of the defeat, she would meet with the Lt.-Gov. to signal her intention to resign without advising her honour on a particular course of action.

She would not recommend Guichon to call on Horgan to form a government. Neither would she suggest calling another election to try to resolve the 44-43 standoff between the Liberals and the NDP-Green alliance.

In short, the public was offered the picture of a premier who was prepared to take her electoral medicine, retreat to the Opposition benches, and not try to sway the viceregal representative one way or the other.

There matters stood until last week, when the legislature resumed with the B.C. Liberals plagiarizing whole sections of the Green and NDP platforms in a bid to persuade one or more members of the alliance to cross the floor or otherwise support the government.

No dice. So Monday of this week, Clark and her operatives tried another dodge, tabling two pieces of legislation crafted to drive a wedge between NDP Leader John Horgan and the Greens’ boss Andrew Weaver.

The scheme flopped spectacularly, as the Greens and New Democrats combined to subject both bills to the indignity of defeat on first reading, something that had never before happened to government-authored legislation in the provincial legislature.

Tomorrow is going to be very interesting.

 

[rlock]

Well, for the MLA's, this is like going on a roller-coaster, heading up that first apex to the big plunge. Here it comes !

 

[papillion]

As predicted, cru$ty clarks liberals lost the nonconfidence vote and are now no longer in power.
Lt. Gov. has meet with the former premier, and is currently meeting Horgan.
Stay tuned.
We'll either get a GreeNDP coalition government (likely)or another election (unlikely)





This Just IN: Lt. Gov. has asked Horgan to form government

 

[sdw]

Christy's plan FAILED. Lt-Gov Judith Guichon didn't buy what Christy was selling. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/horgan-government-guichon-2017-1.4185204

Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon asks NDP Leader John Horgan to form government and become premier

NDP Leader John Horgan will become premier of British Columbia and have the opportunity to test the confidence of the house.

Horgan made the announcement to reporters at Government House, following a dramatic series of events at Guichon's residence.

B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark met with Guichon for about 90 minutes immediately after her government lost a confidence vote in the legislature.

But she left without a decision from Guichon.

Less than 10 minutes after Clark left, after telling reporters no decision had been made, Horgan drove to Government House.

In a statement, Guichon said the following: "I have met with Premier Clark and will accept her resignation. I have asked Mr. Horgan to form a government, he having assured me that he can form a government which will have the confidence of the Legislative Assembly."

The NDP and Green Party have 44 MLAs — the minimum number for a majority — and they all voted in favour of the non-confidence motion and pledged to support Horgan as premier.

But Clark had argued in recent days the legislature was "not a functional place" in its current configuration. She said an NDP government would be paralyzed because of the expected need for one of its own MLAs to serve as Speaker, thus creating continued 43-43 vote ties.

It was an argument Guichon ultimately decided to reject.

Guichon will not be making any further comment on her decision beyond her statement.

The provincial election on May 9 ended with the Liberals electing 43 MLAs, the NDP 41 and the Greens three, setting up the last seven weeks of political battles.

I'm not sure that the John Horgan NDP government will last for very long. But, Lt-Gov Judith Guichon has demonstrated that our system of government works.

 

[papillion]

Christy's plan FAILED. Lt-Gov Judith Guichon didn't buy what Christy was selling. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/horgan-government-guichon-2017-1.4185204



I'm not sure that the John Horgan NDP government will last for very long. But, Lt-Gov Judith Guichon has demonstrated that our system of government works.

Nobody knows how long the coalition will last, we're entering uncharted territory.
The speaker will likely come from the ndp, which means he/she will have to constantly vote as a tie breaker, which has not been done before.
There is a very small chance a liberal will break ranks and become the speaker, but that would be extraordinary.

 

[deathreborn]

guichon would have to have been completely out to lunch to not realize christy was trying to manipulate and play her for a fool for her own gain to get that snap election. thankfully her and whoever was advising her saw through the garbage christy was shuffling. hopefully she made that bitch squirm for the hour and a half they were talking. now hopefully the liberals will see that christy is a hinderance to the party regaining power in the future, and immediately set the wheels in motion for a leadership review. if they're smart they will kick her to the curb, get someone new in there that can completely distance themselves from all the flip flopping, game playing damage christy has done.

the best thing about this is now christy's precious legacy is ruined. no matter what, she will always go down in history as the premier who was booted from government. with all the smugness, and elitist attitudes she put forth it's gratifying to see her humiliated like this.

 

[rlock]

Nobody knows how long the coalition will last, we're entering uncharted territory.
The speaker will likely come from the ndp, which means he/she will have to constantly vote as a tie breaker, which has not been done before.

There's no part of this situation that's been done before. The speaker is going to have to tie-break everything. Normally this isn't done, but this situation isn't normal. They are all going to have to be sharp for every vote.

The very first thing the new government should do is enact a widespread ban on corporate donations, union donations, and all out-of-province donations.

It would also not be a bad idea if they did the same ban for all municipal elections too. (Something the provincial government has the power to do.)

 

[thodisipagal]

I'm not sure that the John Horgan NDP government will last for very long. But, Lt-Gov Judith Guichon has demonstrated that our system of government works.

I'm not sure that Christina Joan Clark, MLA will last very long as the leader of BC Liberal Party.

For me the tipping point against Clark was when her government wrongfully fired seven Ministry of Health researchers in 2012, one of whom committed suicide after being relentlessly badgered by her government investigators.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/new...alth-ministry-firings-report/article34615260/

Christina Joan Clark had not one word of contrition, not one word of sympathy.

Good that she now knows how painful it is to be fired from job. I'll be happy when she's fired as leader by her own party members.

 

[Lo-ki]

I wonder if Christi Clark will go back to CKNW and bash all the politicians.

 

[Har-Don]

I wonder if Christi Clark will go back to CKNW and bash all the politicians.

I think her brand/ credibility is ruined for talk radio. I think the lack of Liberal votes wasn't necessarily a knock on the Liberals but more on Christy Clark herself. Her popularity is very low.

My guess is a new Liberal leader will lead them back to victory in the next election... whenever that is.

 

[ddcanz]

I predict the Libs will be back in power in about 2 years.
I agree that the GreeNDP has now been given the opportunity to govern- this is the democratic thing to do.
But at some point they too will get the shitty end of the confidence stick and Horgan will have no choice but to take the same walk of shame to the LG's home and request a dissolution.
Back to the polls in 2019- and the populace will then see that the GreeNDP are just a pack of 2-faced BS artists- no different than those they accuse of the same.
Change is good- this Province needed a shake up- but Horgan's gang of inepts is not the best solution long term.

 

[morementum]

I predict the Libs will be back in power in about 2 years.
I agree that the GreeNDP has now been given the opportunity to govern- this is the democratic thing to do.
But at some point they too will get the shitty end of the confidence stick and Horgan will have no choice but to take the same walk of shame to the LG's home and request a dissolution.
Back to the polls in 2019- and the populace will then see that the GreeNDP are just a pack of 2-faced BS artists- no different than those they accuse of the same.
Change is good- this Province needed a shake up- but Horgan's gang of inepts is not the best solution long term.

Having a government like Horgan's will be about once a generation is enough to get everyone to realize what a fucked up idea it is. Alberta just getting over their batshit crazy moment. BC hasn't had theirs for 15 plus years and it was time. Two years is about right - can see fractures already on that unholy alliance and once people start to notice that things are far worse and only going to continue in that direction, like it always does with these sorts of incompetent to govern idealists, the gig will be up and it will be another 15-20 years until another lesson is needed.

 

[storm rider]

Having a government like Horgan's will be about once a generation is enough to get everyone to realize what a fucked up idea it is. Alberta just getting over their batshit crazy moment. BC hasn't had theirs for 15 plus years and it was time. Two years is about right - can see fractures already on that unholy alliance and once people start to notice that things are far worse and only going to continue in that direction, like it always does with these sorts of incompetent to govern idealists, the gig will be up and it will be another 15-20 years until another lesson is needed.

I like your take on it and that is how I see it playing out.I will say though that BC has a track record for voting the commie NDP into power.In Alberta last election the NDP got the benefit of the right wing vote being split damn near down the middle in every riding and at the same time the NDP got the benefit of a "protest vote" gone wrong which won them a majority.If all of those people in all of those ridings who were pissed off at the PC's had spoiled their respective ballots by writing things like "look in the mirror' or "bring back Ralph" on the ballots instead of spite voting for the NDP we would have ended up with a Wildrose Majority government at best or a PC Minority government that would be answerable to the Wildrose and in a very precarious position in the legislature.

Right now the NDP in Alberta actually think that they had a mandate to govern and they were the CHOICE of Albertans and that they will get elected again even as they have run the province into the ground.Best way I can sum it up is to say it is easier to find an endangered Sage Grouse in Alberta than to find someone who will admit they voted NDP last election.

Personally I pity BC right now.I really dont think the Liberals did a bad job.Lots of people yap about funding donations but what is the big deal about it.IMO it is far better than what the Federal Liberals had going which was a vote subsidy paid to all political parties and it came out of the public purse in other words tax payers money was paid to all political parties based on the number of votes they got in an election.That to me is just fucking robbing tax payers.

The one thing I will say is that as far as I know there was not a single Liberal MLA in BC since they have been running the show that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.The last run of the NDP had 3 leaders who all resigned in disgrace.Hell in the first term under Harcourt the Interior Minister had a 10 mile long 2 lane blacktop road run through crown land to his ranch near Williams Lake so he did not have to drive on dirt/gravel roads and also so he could get in and out quick.....nothing says graft quite like a 10 mile private driveway.

SR

 

[Cock Throppled]

The one thing I will say is that as far as I know there was not a single Liberal MLA in BC since they have been running the show that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.The last run of the NDP had 3 leaders who all resigned in disgrace.Hell in the first term under Harcourt the Interior Minister had a 10 mile long 2 lane blacktop road run through crown land to his ranch near Williams Lake so he did not have to drive on dirt/gravel roads and also so he could get in and out quick.....nothing says graft quite like a 10 mile private driveway.

SR

First, you should learn your history. BC Socreds and Liberals were pretty cose to the old Quebec politicians as far as scandals. There was a tradition in British parliamentary behaviour, where people would resign when scandals were alleged, to preserve the honour of the position, until the issue was resolved.

Until Gordon Campbell came along. He refused to resign after being caught and charged with drunk driving. From then on, it became a point of pride that nobody would ever resign in a Liberal government. And nobody did. Or was ever held accountable. It's not becuae they weren't caught, just that they refused to go, and the leaders (Campbell. Then Clark) refused to demote, suspend, chastise or ask for resignations. BC became a Kardashian-like empire where bad behaviour never gets punished, and was often rewarded. The media helped a lot by never really digging too deeply (Maybe the millions in advertising dollars helped with their collective indifference).

Claiming nobody ever resigned isn't a sign of anything other than arrogant disdain for the public.

Here's some light reading for you - https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/04/10/BC-Liberal-Falsehoods-Scandals-Whole-List/

 

[MissingOne]

... Hell in the first term under Harcourt the Interior Minister had a 10 mile long 2 lane blacktop road run ...

Interior Minister? Since when has B.C. ever had an Interior Ministry?