Judy Darcy is “super stoked” about the prospect of being part of an NDP government that puts people first and ends the dysfunctional way business is done in Victoria.
On Tuesday, 41 NDP MLAs and three Green party MLAs ratified an agreement pledging to work together to support a stable New Democrat government that works for the people. The Liberals won 43 seats in the May 9 election, enough to form a minority government, but it may not be enough to gain the confidence of the house when Christy Clark recalls the legislature in June.
“Sixty per cent of British Columbians voted for change and today we have the opportunity to create that change,” Darcy told the Record after signing the agreement. “We also have the opportunity to show that it’s possible for politics to work differently. I am over the moon about it.”
Darcy said she is incredibly excited about the opportunity of working with the Greens to “transform politics” in B.C. Although she loves the advocacy and community aspects of being New Westminster’s MLA, she said she isn’t a fan of “the confrontational stuff” in the house, where every idea from the Opposition is rejected, even if it’s one the government agrees with, and no private members bills get debated.
“I was overjoyed when I was elected four years ago. I had watched politics, of course. I had been involved in the NDP and had been in the gallery for question period. I wasn’t prepared for how dysfunctional it was,” she said. “For people who are elected to public office, they want to serve. My great hope is, and I think the commitment in the document, the accord that’s been reached, is that we are going to move into that era of politics.”
Green party leader Andrew Weaver issued a statement saying the results of the election clearly demonstrated voters wanted to put an end to the bitter, divisive and cynical politics of the past, and get on with productive governance. The two parties have agreed to advance several legislative and policy initiatives dealing with issues like electoral reform, education, transit, climate change, public health care, as well as eliminating Medical Services premiums, sending the Site C project to an independent review and opposing the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project.
“We are going to have a government that is going to be working for regular folks in the community and not a government that is there for the wealthy and the powerful,” Darcy said. “I think people want a change and they are going to see it.”
If the NDP forms government with the support of the Greens, Darcy is confident the power-sharing deal will last until the next provincial election as the Greens have committed to supporting the NDP on confidence and supply motions, which are required for a government to hold power.
