My first response to the Viewpoint piece by Mathew Wilson in last week’s Peak [“BC coalition raises questions,” June 14] was what is the motive? It appears to be another timeworn, partisan game.
Once Christy Clark convenes the legislature and loses the confidence of the house, the BC Green Party will remain a distinct party in opposition with the ability to vote independently, with the exception of the negotiated items (many of which were directly from the BC Green Party platform) noted in the agreement with the BC New Democratic Party.
Results of this election set the table for politics to be done in a different, more democratic manner with more cooperation across party lines than we have seen in more than 65 years. All three parties acknowledged the voters of BC made it abundantly clear that this is what they desire of their elected officials.
This means BC Green Party MLAs can introduce their own unique legislation and support, or not, BC Liberal bills and/or BC NDP bills on an issue-by-issue basis in an un-whipped manner.
To put things into perspective, the agreement to support the BC NDP in supply and confidence motions generally amounts to two votes per year: the speech from the throne and a supply motion.
Each and every elected MLA can either embrace this new, more democratic way of negotiating bills or they can willfully sabotage the process. I hope they choose the former.
During the recent election it was clear that people in our riding are tired of political mudslinging. They want elected officials and want-to-be elected officials to concentrate on finding solutions to issues affecting our riding, province and country.
Seeing there was no abandonment of principals, as Wilson fabricated, I won’t hold you in suspense: I still plan to run for the BC Greens again in the next election.
Kim Darwin is a Sechelt resident who ran in the provincial election as a BC Green Party candidate in the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding.
