The NDP says it plans to introduce an amended motion on Monday in a bid to topple British Columbia’s minority Liberal government.
New Democrat house leader Mike Farnworth said the motion will ask for an immediate vote in the legislature, but that the throne speech confidence vote is not expected to take place until next Thursday.
This week's throne speech saw a dramatic shift to the left by Christy Clark’s Liberals. The party introduced about a dozen new promises and faced accusations from opposition parties of adopting their policies and campaign promises in a last-ditch bid to hold onto power.
“The whole throne speech was extraordinary,” said Jamie Lawson, a political science professor at the University of Victoria. “We could actually—and people have done this—make a list of NDP and Green Party platform options that are now part of the throne speech.”
The throne speech included key NDP campaign promises from last month’s provincial election.
Both parties plan to eliminate tolls on Metro Vancouver bridges. They’ve also both pledged to get rid of MSP fees, provide cheaper child care and fund school playgrounds.
The Liberals shifted their transit policies too, offering to expedite the Pattullo Bridge replacement, expand transit options and revisit the Massey Bridge design.
Clark, however, argued that the speech showed that her government is listening to voters and is willing to change to better serve British Columbians.
The Liberals claim a larger than expected surplus will cover the cost of these policy shifts.
The May election saw the Liberals reduced to a minority government after 16 years in office. The party won 43 seats—just one seat short of a majority—while the NDP won 41 seats and the Green Party won three seats.
The NDP and Greens later agreed combine their votes in confidence motions in the legislature in an attempt to defeat Clark’s government.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Bhinder Sajan and The Canadian Press
