The metamorphosis of Premier Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals accelerated Thursday with a throne speech that incorporated vast swaths of the NDP and B.C. Green Party campaign platforms.
In a bid to stave off defeat in the legislature, Clark unveiled an agenda that embraced many of same policies that she and the Liberals previously dismissed as unaffordable or unnecessary.
“The May election delivered a divided result,” the speech said. “Your government has listened to that result and brings forward this agenda to gain this house’s confidence and, in doing so, the confidence of the people of British Columbia.
“It is submitted with humility and openness to change.”
The speech said the B.C. Liberal agenda includes ideas from all three parties in an effort to strike a balance between economic, social and environmental priorities.
Most of the promises were missing from the February budget and the Liberals’ campaign platform in May, when the party fell one seat short of a fifth straight majority.
In some cases, the speech writers appeared to have simply cut and pasted promises directly from the NDP and Green platforms, including pledges to fully fund adult basic education and English-as-a-second-language programs, increase legal aid spending, review the funding formula for school districts, provide free post-secondary tuition for children in care and create a ministry of mental health and addictions.
The speech, read by Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, also included pledges to
• hold a referendum on electoral reform
• consider moving the fixed election date from May to the fall
• strengthen lobbyist legislation and regulations
• introduce a basic income support for youth aging out of care
• convene the first royal commission in education in 30 years
• end the practice of parents having to raise money to replace school playgrounds
In addition, the speech confirmed earlier commitments to raise welfare rates, ban big money from B.C. politics and bring in a poverty-reduction plan — all positions that the Liberals previously rejected.
Clark defended her transformation, calling it a “sincere response” to what the Liberals heard from voters.
“This is a product of listening to people and it’s a firm commitment that, if we gain confidence of the house, we’ll act on it,” she told reporters following the speech. “It’s also one that if we get into an election we’ll run on.”
She said that B.C. can afford all the new spending because the economy is growing faster than expected. “We’re in a much better financial position than we’d anticipated and that means that we are able to make commitments over the longer term.”
Clark said she’s hoping that the speech will convince at least one NDP or Green MLA to help the Liberals win a confidence vote in the legislature. The Liberals have 43 seats to 41 for the NDP and three for the Greens.
“I hope that members will decide that they want to vote for stability,” she said. “I mean, only one member needs to change their mind.”
Her strategy, however, appears likely to fail.
The NDP and Greens have already dismissed Clark’s last-minute shift to the left and restated their intention to defeat her and install an NDP minority government.
“It’s a question of who do you trust to implement the measures that are being brought forth,” B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver said. “Do you trust those who have spent the last two years developing the policies and platforms and campaigning on them? Or do you trust a government that, in the 11th hour of the dying death throes of a government, suddenly change their opinion?
“It lacks principles of conviction to suddenly switch in a desperate attempt to hang onto power. That doesn’t give me confidence.”
NDP Leader John Horgan, premier-in-waiting, said it’s too late for Clark to erase her record of cutting services, while raising utility rates and medical premiums.
“You can’t change after an election, you have to change before an election,” he said. “I believe the B.C. Liberals have lost their way. I believe they no longer represent and reflect the values of this diverse and dynamic province.”
Horgan said the NDP will seek a confidence vote on Monday and defeat the Liberals at the earliest opportunity.
