B.C.’s NDP government survives non-confidence vote brought forward by Conservatives
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2025 (396 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government has survived a non-confidence vote late Wednesday after the Opposition Conservative party wasted no time in trying to overthrow the NDP.
In a vote that split along party lines, a motion brought forward by Opposition leader John Rustad was narrowly defeated, with every Conservative member voting for while both BC Green Party representatives voted against alongside NDP members.
Rustad’s motion was to amend the throne speech to declare that the legislature does not have confidence in the government.
Prior to presenting the motion, Rustad made his party’s case for dissolving government, saying the province “has never been more vulnerable.”
“Our budget is completely out-of-hand,” he said. “Our affordability has never been worse in this province. Housing has never been worse in this province. Our economy is struggling … people have lost confidence in being able to invest in this province.”
The Opposition leader told reporters earlier in the day that he promised on election night that he would try to bring down the government at the earliest possible opportunity.
He said Wednesday was technically the earliest opportunity for the Conservative party to bring a confidence vote on the government.
A successful vote of non-confidence could have forced the government to dissolve, which would have set off a provincial election.
In a written statement after the vote, B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the motion — had it passed — would have triggered an election that “British Columbians don’t want.”
“British Columbians know that our province is facing one of the greatest economic threats in our history,” Kahlon said. “(U.S. President) Donald Trump’s unjustified tariffs are threatening our economy and the livelihoods of countless Canadians.”
B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters earlier that it’s “bizarre” the Conservatives would introduce a non-confidence motion onto the throne speech, which in itself is a confidence motion, “in an attempt to drive to an election.”
The NDP holds 47 seats to the Opposition B.C. Conservatives’ 44 members, while the Green Party holds two seats and has agreed to support the New Democrats on motions of confidence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.