John Horgan is returning to the British Columbia legislature as the premier with a majority government and a promise to listen to all suggestions — no matter where they come from.
Horgan says he remembers how frustrating it was as an opposition member to be rejected for a good idea and he’ll never govern that way.
He says he’ll be influenced by good suggestions no matter where they come from.
“I’ll be influenced by good ideas wherever they come from,” said Horgan at his first news conference following the election result. “I don’t care where an idea comes from, if it makes sense we’re going to implement it. That’s how I will approach working with all members of the legislature.”
Horgan says his government has many challenges ahead from the COVID-19 pandemic and they’ll return to work to prepare one of the most extraordinary budgets ever tabled in the province.
The government’s budget deficit for this fiscal year is forecast to grow to $15 billion based on the NDP’s campaign promises.
With the NDP winning a majority government, it means that the party will no longer have to rely on the Greens.
The results on election night gave the NDP 53 seats, the B.C. Liberals 27, and the Greens three. Four ridings remain undecided.
There are still more than half a million mail-in ballots to count in the coming weeks, but the NDP won enough seats on Saturday night for a decisive victory at the expense of the BC Liberals, who lost as many as a dozen seats.
Three Greens were elected, including the election of a member from outside Vancouver Island, a first for the party.
With files to the Canadian Press.
CHEK News
