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The party with two seats in B.C.’s legislature will not sign a new co-operation agreement with the NDP government, saying that, a little over a year in, the province has not held up its end of the bargain.
Jeremy Valeriote, the B.C. Green Party’s MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky said the Co-operation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA) — signed with the B.C. NDP in December 2024 — is terminated as of Monday, and he and fellow Green MLA Rob Botterell will now vote on a bill-by-bill basis.
“CARGA was clear,” said Valeriote in a news release from the party. “These were tangible targets and policies meant to deliver real results for working people. Too many of those commitments have since been stalled or sidelined by the B.C. NDP.”
The Greens, under the leadership of Emily Lowan, who does not have a seat in the provincial legislature, said the province has not done enough to support new and existing community health centres, expand transit in underserved areas, such as the Lower Mainland’s North Shore, or explore electoral reform.
“Nearly two thirds of what we agreed to has not been accomplished, and I think this raises real questions about who this government is working for in our negotiations,” Lowan told reporters on Monday.
Lowan said the B.C. NDP is ceding its values to “corporate interests,” isn’t supporting workers and is wrong to amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
“We are proud to be the only party in British Columbia consistently standing up for the workers — on labour, on affordability and on our climate,” she said.
The B.C. Greens are ripping up their agreement to support the B.C. NDP government after Green Party leader Emily Lowan announced her party will not renew the Co-operation and Responsible Government Accord. The CBC’s Katie DeRosa has more from Victoria.
Election trigger?
When CARGA was signed, the B.C. NDP held a slim majority in the legislature with 47 seats.
Now though, the opposition is fractured with the B.C. Conservative Party down to 39 seats from 44. Five MLAs are currently sitting as Independents.
On Monday morning, before the Greens announced they were pulling out of CARGA, Eby was asked at an unrelated news conference about negotiations.
“We have the votes that we need,” he said about being able to pass bills without assistance from Green MLAs.
“We are engaging with the Greens, are trying to find a path with them where we can find cooperation for that.”
After the announcement, deputy premier Niki Sharma thanked Valeriote and Botterell for their work and collaboration over the past year when the agreement was meant to “ensure additional stability for British Columbians.”
Sharma said now, the Greens could vote with the Conservatives on confidence measures to trigger an election.
“British Columbians don’t want an election — they want us to take action on the things that matter to them,” said Sharma.
She said her party would continue to work with the Greens on an issue-by-issue and vote-by-vote basis.
Lowan said whether there is an election of not rests entirely with the B.C. NDP.
“The B.C. NDP has a majority,” she said. “They can govern, pass budgets and call an election whenever they choose. If the premier decides to trigger an election, that is his decision — not ours.”
The term of the original deal was four years to be renewed annually.
