|
British Columbia People of BC Left Out of Election Decision
The essence of the cartel party political system in Canada is that the people are alienated from any decision-making about the economy, politics and other issues that affect their lives, other than casting a vote every few years. The cartel parties control the process and collude to keep the people out. A glaring example of this is the recent decision by the minority NDP government of BC to call a provincial election despite near universal opposition. The current breakdown in the BC Legislature is: NDP, 41; Liberal, 41; Green Party, two; Independents, two; and one seat vacant. Up until now, this minority government has been propped up by a Supply and Confidence Agreement that was negotiated between the NDP and the Green Party following the 2017 election. In this signed, power-sharing agreement, the NDP promised to wait until October 16, 2021 before holding another election, which was in accordance with BC's fixed election law. However, on September 21, NDP Premier John Horgan reneged on the agreement and, after getting approval from the Lieutenant-Governor of the province, scheduled the next election for October 24, a year ahead of the previously agreed upon date. In his announcement, Horgan said he "struggled" with the decision, but the province was only at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and holding off the election would "create uncertainty and instability over the next 12 months." According to him, "contempt" and "acrimony" between the parties would take away from dealing with the pandemic. According to him, "the best way forward is to put the politics behind us." All of this was said just days after the Premier acknowledged that, over the previous few months, there has been "extraordinary co-operation between Health Minister Adrian Dix and the opposition parties when it comes to tackling COVID-19." Horgan's announcement was met with sharp criticism from the BC Liberals and Greens, as well as a host of media pundits and election observers. There have also been media reports of NDP supporters opposing the election call and that most party members, with the exception of a few top officials, were kept out of the conversation about launching an election. Horgan said that the deciding issue for him in calling the election was the opposition by Green Party MLAs to two government bills put forward during the summer. The first bill would have allowed for the short-term detention of young people who had overdosed on drugs, and the second would have increased the amount of cheap electricity that BC Hydro is allowed to purchase in the U.S. Green Party MLA Sonia Furstenau, who became party leader just a few days ago, disagreed with Horgan's assessment. She commented that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring there has not been "instability" in government, but rather "a time of unbelievable cooperation and collaboration for the people of British Columbia." She noted that there had been widespread criticism of the bill that would have detained young people after drug overdoses, including from the Chief Coroner, the independent Representative for Children and Youth, and the BC Civil Liberties Association. Indeed, in the face of this criticism, the bill was withdrawn by Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy for more review. In addition, there was opposition from Indigenous peoples to both the drug overdose bill and the BC Hydro bill on the grounds that, in both cases, the government had failed to consult them as laid out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. According to Furstenau, the BC Greens had adhered to every part of the power-sharing agreement, including voting with the government on all budget and confidence bills. "But what that agreement didn't stipulate," she said, "was total obedience to the NDP." In her opinion, Horgan has "chosen the pursuit of power over the health and safety of British Columbians." For his part, BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson called the election unnecessary and a "cynical, self-serving, selfish move" on the part of the NDP government. "What kind of person does that, in the middle of a pandemic, rip up a deal that would have led to stable government for the next year? Who would do that?" he asked, adding "And the answer is John Horgan and the NDP." Opposition criticism aside, however, there is a larger problem. Under the current cartel party system, the parties in the federal parliament and provincial legislatures regularly put their own interests first and leave the people in the dust. There are many other examples of federal and provincial governments, in BC and elsewhere, launching similar surprise attacks on voters. So, why is the BC government ramming through this election in the midst of a pandemic which could be going into a ramped up "second wave" this fall? Is it really about having a "stable" government during these troubled times that can provide good governance for the province? Or are there more opportunistic reasons? For example, having the election now favours the NDP's election prospects. According to a recent poll, the NDP is ahead of the Opposition Liberals by 19 per cent. Furthermore, the new leader of the BC Greens was elected to the office only a few days ago which, according to some, puts the party at a disadvantage to the NDP which covets the Green seats on Vancouver Island. Then there is the economic situation. According to the government's most recent economic outlook, there will be an economic decline of 6.7 per cent this year and a deficit that will climb to $12.8 billion. Does the government anticipate a worsening economy in the coming year and thus less favourable electoral conditions?
|
