How do you like minority government so far? We have a range war with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ottawa over our NDP government害羞草研究所檚 theory that it can rewrite the Canadian constitution.
We have record-high gasoline prices, fuelled by an early increase in the carbon tax insisted on by the three-member B.C. Green Party.
And we害羞草研究所檝e got a Green leader who throws tantrums, floats empty threats to bring down the NDP government he put into power, and tries to use most of his time in the legislature to attack the opposition.
If you like that, great, because Premier John Horgan is doing everything he can to make sure fringe parties are elevated permanently, through some formula of proportional representation that won害羞草研究所檛 be disclosed until a month or so before a mail-in ballot this fall.
Press gallery reporters got one of our brief opportunities to question the premier before the legislature took a break last week. Horgan assured us that while the public will be told nothing until the fall, they害羞草研究所檒l have more than enough information to answer the still-secret question (or questions) before the November deadline to mail in ballots.
害羞草研究所淲e are months and months away,害羞草研究所� Horgan said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 fairly certain there won害羞草研究所檛 be too many summer barbecues where the topic of conversation is proportional representation.害羞草研究所�
He害羞草研究所檚 made sure of that by keeping the preparations and the ballot question in the hands of Attorney General David Eby and his political staff. There害羞草研究所檚 nothing to discuss yet.
For his part, Eby is so enthusiastic about the response to his slanted online survey on the subject that he can hardly stand it. He hasn害羞草研究所檛 said anything about the results or the distribution of responses. They害羞草研究所檙e still processing the 害羞草研究所渕etadata害羞草研究所� and stuff. But by golly, more than 88,000 people self-selected to respond to the survey, and that害羞草研究所檚 the biggest consultation ever!
Indeed, 88,000 people is slightly more than the population of Chilliwack. Heck, it害羞草研究所檚 enough people to vote in the referendum to reshape the voting system, since there is no minimum turnout this time.
Here害羞草研究所檚 what the NDP害羞草研究所檚 2017 election platform said: 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l hold a referendum on changing our voting system so that every vote counts. We害羞草研究所檒l ensure B.C.害羞草研究所檚 regions are all represented fairly. And we害羞草研究所檒l campaign for the yes side.害羞草研究所�
I guess they could now argue that two out of three ain害羞草研究所檛 bad. The 害羞草研究所渞egions害羞草研究所� are intentionally not represented fairly, as they were in two previous referendums. This time urban B.C. will decide the outcome, because that favours the NDP and Greens.
The B.C. Liberal opposition pressed the NDP government in the legislature in late April, and after Eby did most of the deflecting in a raucous question period, Horgan rose to mock the opposition害羞草研究所檚 objections.
害羞草研究所淗ow outrageous of us to join with the Green Party, who also campaigned on that commitment, to make sure that we get proportional representation in this house,害羞草研究所� Horgan said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what we campaigned on; that害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e going to deliver.害羞草研究所�
So the fix is in, officially.
The government害羞草研究所檚 going to fund a yes and no side, after barbecue season of course. But there are already two 害羞草研究所測es害羞草研究所� campaigns. One, VotePRBC, is fundraising. The other, YesPRBC, doesn害羞草研究所檛 seem worried about money, almost as if it expects public funding.
Its directors include retired NDP MP Jean Crowder, a failed Family Coalition Party and B.C. Unity Party candidate, a failed Green candidate, and a former Green leader who resigned from the party in 2000. Oh, and a vice-president of the B.C. Government Employees Union.
Happy barbecuing.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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