Rustad’s motion for non-confidence vote against BC NDP fails

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad motioned unsuccessfully for a vote of non-confidence Wednesday.

The Opposition leader reportedly filed a motion in the provincial Legislature, aiming to end Premier David Eby and the governing party’s leadership and trigger a general election.

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Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says that’s something British Columbians don’t want.

“In a week when British Columbians expected their elected leaders to be united and focused on that threat, B.C. Conservative MLAs have voted to bring down the government and to defend Donald Trump,” said Kahlon in a statement.

In a vote that split along party lines, the motion was narrowly defeated, with every Conservative member voting ‘for’ while both BC Green Party representatives voted ‘against’ alongside BC NDP members.

Rustad’s motion was to amend the throne speech to declare that the legislature does not have confidence in the government.

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 says it was technically the earliest opportunity for the Conservative party to bring a confidence vote on the government.

Eby told reporters 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.

Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth tells 1130 NewsRadio that Rustad’s timing was “fully expected.”

“The throne speech is exactly when you would do that, and the other one would be, potentially, the budget — well, a budget is a cofidence vote anyway — so I’m not surprised by it. And at the end of it, it the Opposition learned that they only have 44 votes and that we have 47 votes, just as the NDP. And Greens voted with us, and so they lost,” Farnworth explained.

He and Kahlon both described a possible provincial election as “the last thing” British Columbians would want.

“[British Columbians] want a government that’s focused on Trump and the tariffs and the threat to British Columbia and the threat to Canada… clearly, the B.C. Conservatives are only concerned about their interests. They want an election, and they lost. And every time there is a confidence vote, they will lose.”

BC Conservative MLA for Surrey South, Elenore Sturko says the Green Party MLAs “should be embarrassed” for having voted against the motion.

“They continue to prop up a government that clearly has not demonstrated, not over the last more-than-seven years, and certainly not in this throne speech, how they intend to address the vast amount of multiple crises that we’re facing in this province. Whether it’s health care, housing affordability, or the looming threat of a trade war that’s hanging over the heads of British Columbians. It’s unfortunate that the Green Party would choose to continue to support a government that really hasn’t proven to British Columbians that it’s capable of getting the job done,” said Sturko.

Sturko was one of five BC Conservative MLAs who voted against the majority of her party this week over a motion to condemn potential U.S. tariffs.

The dissent prompted Rustad to say the party was having “family” issues Tuesday, ahead of its annual general meeting. Sturko says the freedom to disagree with her party is what democracy is all about. But she says the use of that freedom was not necessary Wednesday.

“We are absolutely united when it comes to our belief that this government is not showing its competence when it comes to dealing with some of the most pressing issues that we’re facing in our province right now.”

Motion similar to drama playing out at the federal level

University of British Columbia political scientist Stewart Prest doesn’t understand why the Conservatives put the motion forward.

“Certainly it’s an interesting strategy to call them like that with the full awareness that it’s going to fail.”

He says this may remind constituents of something else.

“It is, in some ways, reminiscent of the federal situation where we have seen the federal Conservatives call regular non-confidence motions only to see them fail. It does the raise the question of whether this is little more than political posturing,” he explained.

Prest adds that you shouldn’t be shocked if the Conservatives continue introducing the motion.

“It’s entirely possible. At a provincial level, these motions essentially have no hope of working so they run the risk of coming across as frivolous — a waste of the Legislature’s time. It is certainly a strategy to highlight the level of dissatisfaction on the part of the Conservatives with the NDP, but it runs the risk of seeming out of step with what British Columbians are looking for.”

Had the motion successed, it would have forced the NDP goverment to dissolve government and sent British Columbians back to the polls, just months after the October provincial election.

“In some ways this seems to call into question the vote of the population itself, trying to force the population to vote again as if to say they got it wrong and that’s not how legislatures normally work.”

Prest suspects part of the reason the motion was brought forward was to take attention away from a rough couple of days for Rustad as his party continues to deal with in-fighting, a week into the spring session.

“I think if continues to be seen as a not really bearing fruit it may be yet another knock against the leadership,” he explained.

On election night last October, Rustad promised to try and bring down the provincial government at the earliest opportunity — a messaged he reiterated on Wednesday.

“This is a confirmation on the part of the Conservatives that they intend to be as obstructive as possible.”

With files from Angelyna Mintz.