Green Party leader Sonya Furstenau did not mince words in her opening press conference for the 2020 provincial election. She questioned whether British Columbians could trust the word of John Horgan after he broke the fixed election date legislation as well as confidence supply agreement his party had made with the Green Party by calling an early election.
Furstenau called the election unnecessary, and accused NDP leader John Horgan of putting his political career ahead of the people of British Columbia. Furstenau also said that this snap election will contribute to the lack of diversity that currently exists in the B.C. legislature.
“This is an irresponsible and unnecessary election that he’s posing,” said Furstenau. “Whatever excuses he’s making up for it, let’s be clear this is him and his party putting their fortune ahead of British Columbians at a time when people are worried about their jobs, their financial security, their children and their health and they don’t have the privilege that he has with an ongoing salary and a secure pension.”
During Horgan’s initial press conference he said that he was calling the election because of issues getting Green Party support to pass bills over the summer, including an energy bill and a mental health bill. He said he was calling the election to avoid another 12 months of bickering.
Furstenau disagreed with that characterization.
“We have just had, what I think many people will recognize, an unprecedented level of cooperation within the B.C. legislature,” said Furstenau. This has not been a time of instability in government, this has been a time of unreliable cooperation and collaboration.”
Furstenau was adamant that this has not been a time of instability referencing the legislature coming together during a pandemic to pass $5 billion in provincial spending.
Despite the snap election Furstenau says that her party is ready to run a province-wide election. She said that she had recently met with riding associations across the province and that they are energized, have candidates ready to go, teams built and money in the bank.
When asked if calling an early election precludes the possibility of a future confidence and supply agreement in the future Furstenau said she would not speculate on the outcome of this election.
This story originally appeared in BIV News.
