CARTOON PROPHECY — When the legislature resumed after the 2013 election, the Times Colonist ran a cartoon by Adrian Raeside featuring a slump-shouldered NDP MLA trudging off to work for another wretched term in Opposition. His spouse bids him goodbye with: “Call me if you block a bill.”
NDP premier-designate John Horgan had it pinned up at home for ages. Last week, after the Liberal government lost two votes in a row on the introduction of legislation, Horgan phoned his wife, Ellie: “Honey, I blocked a bill!”
IT’S COMPLICATED — The NDP and the Greens worked together in co-operation to hatch a plan that brought down the Liberals. So how will the Liberals and the Greens get along, once the Liberals are in Opposition, and the Greens support the NDP government on confidence measures, but have party status and their own views on other matters?
Early clues offer a suggestion: Not well.
Premier Christy Clark and Green Leader Andrew Weaver clashed on the house’s last day. Discussing his commitment to co-operation, she said: “He wasn’t telling the truth about that then, and he isn’t telling the truth about what he is saying today … ”
The phrase is out of order and Speaker Steve Thomson called on Clark to withdraw. She didn’t stand up to do so formally, but he said he heard a withdrawal and proceedings carried on.
Later, cabinet minister Rich Coleman recalled the education he got in climate change 10 years ago from a ranking expert on the government’s climate action team who endorsed hydro-electric as clean power.
That would be Weaver, the man who helped bring the government down and is now opposed to the Site C dam.
“Ironically,” Coleman said.
THE JIG IS UP — Coleman also paid tribute to the people of Langley, whom he’s represented for 21 years.
“In that community, I’ve got people who have been with me and supported me for a long time. The one guy I think the most of is Larry Willoughby, who’s my sign guy.
“Now, Larry told me in April: ‘This is the last one. I’m 70.’ Nobody makes a better jig for four-by-four signs than Larry.
“I cut my teeth back in the early 1980s as a sign guy, so I really do like the sign guys on the crew. I think they’re a very important, integral piece.
“Of course, after the last election, as people know, it’s a little tight. So Larry phones me up. He says: ‘Well, if there’s another one, I’m in. I’m not going to leave you yet.’ So Larry is hanging in there. Good for Larry.”
SAYONARA, SPEAKER — Just to keep things interesting, Thomson resigned as Speaker moments after the non-confidence vote passed, and after only five days in the chair. His career box score:
• Number of questions ruled out of order — 1 (Weaver’s)
• Number of demands for withdrawal — 1 (to Clark)
• Number of times he said “Members,” meaning: “Everybody pipe down so I can hear what’s going on” — 19
MOTHER MARY — Health Minister Mary Polak hearkened back to her days as environment minister and recalled she took flack from all sides — even the home front.
Paying tribute to her daughter, a vegan and animal rights activist, Polak lauded her firm ethical grounding.
“And she has only signed one petition against me when I was environment minister, so I’m doing OK.”
Not only that, “she called me to tell me about it.”
