NDP leader says he’s ready for whatever happens next week
Posted May 18, 2017 6:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – New Democrat leader John Horgan says he’s confident he can work with Green Party leader Andrew Weaver after all the election results are in, but he’s also ready to send voters back to the polls –if necessary.
“I’ve got a few bucks in my pocket right now and we’ll see how it goes. We are going to focus on forming a government and 60 per cent –almost 60 per cent of the people that cast ballots– voted for a new government. I believe Andrew Weaver and his colleagues and the group of people with me here today can form that government.”
Premier Christy Clark has yet to answer the same question, but heading into the May 9th vote, the Liberals had built up a much larger war chest.
The newly-elected 41 members of Horgan’s caucus held a four-hour strategy session at a downtown Vancouver hotel Thursday.
Horgan appeared confident when asked if he’s ready to send voters back to the polls.
“Well, we did talk about that (laughs and what happened?) There’s a… look at all these happy faces?”
He went on to talk about an elderly Coquitlam woman who told him she voted NDP for the first time on May 9th.
“I will think of Irene, at 90, voting NDP for the first time and I’m confident that she’ll be excited about doing it a second time –whenever we go back to the polls.”
Horgan also repeated a promise to work with Green Party leader Andrew Weaver on election reform.
During the campaign, he suggested another referendum would be held, but that may not be necessary if the NDP and Greens unite against the Liberals to form a majority coalition government.
“We campaigned on a referendum to affirm proportional representation, but I’m open to discussions with the Green Party about their approach to this question and we’ll take it from there. Our platform said, specifically, we would run a campaign to support proportional representation.”
The NDP have gained six seats since 2013.
Horgan says electoral reform is coming.
“Quite honestly, I believe that this singular moment in history is an opportunity to demonstrate to British Columbians the benefits of a proportional system where two parties can come together to provide good government for BC.”
Right now, the Liberals have 43 seats and the Greens have three.
That could change after the 176,000 absentee ballot results are released next week.
