A confidence agreement between British Columbia’s New Democrats and the provincial Green Party stabilizes David Eby’s bare-majority government, while putting Green election promises on the legislative agenda.
The agreement announced Friday outlines the basis on which the Greens’ two-member caucus will provide confidence to Eby’s party, which won election with 47 seats in B.C.’s 93-seat legislature in October’s provincial election.
The deal features key elements of the Greens’ election platform, including a commitment to growing a community health centre model for primary care and expanding public coverage of psychology services at a cost of $50 million.
Deputy premier Niki Sharma said the framework focuses on areas of agreement between the two parties, while recognizing their positions won’t always align.
The balance struck is “a way to keep government stable for four years ... without erasing the distinct identity that we both have as political parties,” she said Friday.
The seven-page agreement says the house leaders of the NDP and the Greens “agree to establish a relationship of trust based on good faith and no surprises.”
While set to last four years, it is subject to annual agreement at each parties discretion.
It was important to the Greens throughout the negotiations to be able to disagree with government positions, Sharma told a news conference.
“I know that we'll have differences of opinions moving forward, but the fact that we can show a pathway where two political parties in a time of great polarization can come together for British Columbians, I think is a profound thing.”
The October election saw two new Green members win seats, lawyer Rob Botterell, representing Saanich North and the Islands, and geological engineer Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, while the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said after the election that he would work to bring the NDP government down if it continues with its “destructive policies.”
When he was asked about the agreement on Friday, Rustad said he has always assumed the Greens would back the NDP.
Eby is “fooling himself” if he thinks having the support of the Green Party is going to make it easier to pass legislation, Rustad said in an interview.
“We are going to make it very difficult for him to move anything through the legislature that is continuing the destruction of British Columbia,” he said.
“A week can be a long time in politics, so we'll see what January brings. I don’t want to say anything further at this point.”
The stability of Eby’s government had appeared shakier earlier this month when New Democrat Grace Lore announced she was temporarily stepping away due to a cancer diagnosis, though she said she intended to participate in important votes.
Eby said in a statement Friday that the agreement with the Greens will “strengthen the stability of government and help deliver on the priorities of British Columbians.”
While his party and the Greens are distinct and won’t always agree, the premier said they have “many shared values.”
He said the deal sets out specific areas of action they will work together on, including health care, affordable housing, creating livable communities and growing a strong, sustainable economy.
“We will continue to work with all MLAs who want to make the legislature work for people,” Eby said.
Additional policy commitments outlined in the deal that reflect the Green platform include expanding access to housing aid for elderly renters and building 30,000 more units of non-market housing than the government had pledged.
The agreement also commits to a review of B.C.’s forests to “address concerns around sustainability, jobs, environmental protection an the future of the industry.”
