The remarkable remake of Premier Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals gathered steam today with the release of a throne speech that incorporates vast swaths of the NDP and B.C. Green Party platforms.
The speech states that the Liberals failed to win a majority of seats in the May election and that they have a duty to present an agenda in order to seek the confidence of the legislature.
Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, who read the speech, said the agenda includes ideas from all three parties and attempts to find a balance between economic, social and environmental priorities.
"The May election delivered a divided result," the speech states. "Your government has listened to that result and brings forward this agenda to gain this house's confidence and, in doing so, the confidence of the people of British Columbia. It is submitted with humility and openness to change."
In addition to reversals announced earlier this week, the speech includes promises to:
- hold a referendum on electoral reform
- consider moving the fixed election date from May to the fall
- strengthen lobbyist legislation and regulations
- provide free post-secondary education for all children in care
- introduce a basic income support for youth from 18 to 24 who are aging out of care
- increase legal aid funding by 25 per cent
- establish a Minister of State for Mental Health and Addictions
- review the funding formula for school districts
- convene the first Royal Commission in Education in 30 years
- end the practice of parents having to raise money to replace school playgrounds
- fully fund adult basic education and ESL programs
- create a new Rent-to-Own program so that middle class renters can built equity through their monthly payments until they are in a position to buy the home.
The speech includes previously announced promises to end a 10-year freeze on welfare rates and ban union and corporate donations to political parties.
The speech offers few details about how the government proposes to pay for all the promises, except to say that the economy is doing better than expected and producing a larger-than-anticipated surplus.
The NDP and Greens have been largely unmoved by Clark's sudden interest in their policies and remain firm in their commitment to defeat her.
"It's a question of who do you trust to implement the measures that are being brought forth," B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver said this morning.
"Do you trust those who have spent the last two years developing the policies and platforms and campaigning on them? Or do you trust a government that, in the 11th hour of the dying death throws of a government, suddenly change their opinion?
"It lacks principles of conviction to suddenly switch in a desperate attempt to hang onto power. That doesn't give me confidence."
NDP Leader John Horgan said Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon will read a throne speech this afternoon that bears no resemblance to the record of the Liberal government or its campaign platform.
"You can't change after an election, you have to change before an election," he said. " I believe the B.C. Liberals have lost their way. I believe they no longer represent and reflect the values of this diverse and dynamic province."
Horgan said the NDP will seek a confidence vote on Monday and try to dismiss the Liberal government at the earliest opportunity.
Clark said Thursday that she jettisoned her party's positions on key issues after listening to the voters who refused to give her a majority in the election.
"The public has said to us: 'You've got our province in great financial shape, now spend some of that money. Now make sure that we are spreading that around in one of the richest societies anywhere in the world.'"
Clark said she's taking those lessons to heart and is determined to make sure that a Liberal government "looks, feels and is different" from the one she led for the past six years.
"There will be those who say we are only doing it because we want to get votes," she said Thursday. "And what I would say to them is that the voters have spoken, they told us what they wanted us to do. It's listening, it's being flexible."
The throne speech follows the election this morning of former Forests Minister Steve Thomson as Speaker of the B.C. legislature.
Thomson, the Liberal MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said he volunteered for the post once it became clear that the government would put someone forward. He resigned from cabinet last night.
"I've always had very high esteem for the legislature, for the work of the legislature, for the role of the Speaker, and I've always had an interest," he told reporters at the legislature, following his appointment.
He refused to say whether he will remain in the role if, as expected, the Liberal government falls.
The NDP and B.C. Green Party have signed an accord to topple the Liberals in a confidence vote and Premier Christy Clark has suggested it will be up to the next government to find a new Speaker.
Thomson said only that he would strive to uphold the integrity of the office "in the days ahead." He later revised that time frame to "weeks."
"It's not up to me to speculate about what may happen going forward," he said. "My role and my focus will be to manage the house and the legislature with the best of my ability, with fairness and integrity."
Pressed on the issue, Thomson said "it has been the practice that if the government changes, that it's the government that identifies a Speaker."
It's a critical issue because none of the parties won a majority of seats in the May election.
The Liberals won 43 seats to 41 for the NDP and three for the Greens, and Weaver signed a deal to prop up a minority government led by Horgan.
But if the NDP-Green alliance is forced to provide a Speaker, that will leave both sides of the house with 43 votes and leave the Speaker to break any ties.
Clark praised Thomson, a former member of Canada's national rugby team, for his integrity, compassion and ability to bring people together.
"As I often say, politics needs more rugby players," she told the legislature. "As the eyes of our province and our entire country are on this House like never before, I can't think of a better choice to set the tone or a bigger man to enforce the rules."
Aboriginal Relations Minister John Rustad will add the forestry ministry to his portfolio. Horgan and Weaver, both rugby enthusiasts, welcomed Thomson's appointment.
"I have to say, on behalf of my colleague from Oak Bay-Gordon Head, to have a rugby guy in the chair is absolutely appropriate for the raucous time ahead in the days and months and weeks and years," Horgan said in the legislature.
He later told reporters that he's hopeful Thomson will remain as Speaker if the NDP forms government.
"Steve Thomson is a quality guy, a man of the highest integrity and I'm not convinced that he doesn't take this responsibility very, very seriously -- not as a week-long adventure, but a commitment to the entire parliament," he said.
Weaver added that Thomson is an "exceptional choice" as Speaker. "He has the respect of the house. He brings honour and dignity to the position and I look forward to him serving as Speaker for many, many months to come."
