The BC NDP are in talks with the Green Party following an election that saw British Columbians elect a minority government, without absentee ballots taken into account.
BC NDP Leader John Horgan said his team are in touch with Greens Leader Andrew Weaver and his staff during a news conference on Tuesday, though precisely what they’re talking about wasn’t clear.
“We’ve had preliminary discussions, staff have exchanged conversations as well, but it’s early days,” Horgan said.
“We’ve got until next week to find out what the final count is in Election 2017.”
READ MORE: B.C. election: Andrew Weaver says ‘neither Liberals nor NDP can be trusted with majority government’
The discussions between both parties come after an election campaign that saw some heated exchanges between Horgan and Weaver, particularly during the televised leaders’ debate, when the two sparred over the issue of political donations.
Weaver later said in an interview with Global News that, if he and Horgan were going to work together, then the BC NDP leader would have to “control his temper.”
“I want to work with him, I really do, and I’ve tried and I’ve continued to try but he’s got to control his temper,” Weaver said.
On Sunday, Weaver said he would be holding “more formal discussions” with both Horgan and Premier Christy Clark throughout the week — talks that he said would be aimed at seeing “how much of our platform we can actually get others to agree to.”
One issue that Horgan and Weaver agree on is the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
“I believe we need to defend our coast from a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic,” Horgan said Tuesday.
“Mr. Weaver agrees with that point of view, Ms. Clark doesn’t.”
Weaver, meanwhile, told Global News that “we want diluted bitumen out of our coastal waters. The BC NDP have also agreed to that.”
- B.C. officer alleged sexual assault, CSIS had her investigated
- Alberta to overhaul municipal rules to include sweeping new powers, municipal political parties
- Military judges don’t have divided loyalties, Canada’s top court rules
- Norad looking to NATO to help detect threats over the Arctic, chief says
Comments