Deal with NDP is what Canadians wanted, says B.C. Green Party MLA
The fate of the government in B.C. had been in limbo since the May 9 election, when Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals received 43 seats; 41 went to the NDP and the Greens captured three. Those three seats gave the Green Party the balance of power.
Late Sunday, NDP Leader John Horgan and Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver announced they negotiated a deal that would support the NDP minority government.
"Ultimately, it was our discussions with the NDP ... in a couple of the areas it was clear we had closer ties to the NDP," says Sonia Furstenau, the newly-elected Green Party MLA for the riding of Cowichan Valley and deputy leader of the B.C. Green Party.
Related: B.C. Green Party looks to leverage new political power
Furstenau believes that politics in B.C. has been too partisan for too long.
"We've lived in this very hyperpartisan realm where ultimately the two main parties don't spend a lot of time talking to each other," she tells The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti.
Furstenau says for Site C, "the economic case ... does not make economic sense," and when it comes to the Kinder Morgan pipeline, she says a proper environmental assessment wasn't completed on the side of the province.
"So that's one avenue that can be looked at. And of course as we move forward with this agreement, these are the conversations that we have with the other caucus," she says.
Furstenau says the agreement with the NDP is a reflection of what Canadians wanted throughout the election and believes that in the long run, a diversity of voices is important in government.
"The people of B.C. elected a government and the layout of that government, as it stands, is what we've inherited," she explains.
"And so ... it's actually our responsibility now to make that government work."
Listen to this segment at the top of the web post.
This segment was produced by The Current's Liz Hoath.