B.C. NDP and Greens “making progress” on shared priorities

The B.C. NDP say progress is being made on the shared priorities of its government and the B.C. Greens.

Deputy Premier Niki Sharma and interim B.C. Green Leader Jeremy Valeriote spoke to the media today in regards to an update on the two parties’ Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA).

“We were sent to the Legislature to work together on behalf of British Columbians, and that’s what we’ve been doing with our colleagues in the Green caucus,” Sharma said.

One of the files that has seen considerable progress is housing. Rent across the province has been steadily dropping over the past 12 months, and Sharma said the two parties are working together to get more homes built.

“While we still have a long way to go, just a few years ago, many would have said that result was impossible,” she said.

As of March 31, over 3,000 rental or affordable units were completed or underway. Many of these units were funded by the Community Housing Fund, Indigenous Housing Fund, Supportive Housing Fund and Women’s Transition Housing Fund.

Valeriote said he is especially focused on improving access to healthcare across the province.

Healthcare has become a hot topic across the province as emergency rooms are repeatedly experiencing closures due to understaffing.

“Through CARGA, we’ve identified shared priorities with the B.C. NDP that are delivering tangible improvements in people’s lives,” Valeriote said.

Other shared priorities under the agreement include transit, climate, environment, and social and economic justice.

Tuesday’s update is a breath of fresh air from the two parties’ first quarter update which said the collaboration was experiencing challenges.

While neither party went into detail on what challenges they were facing, both said they were committed to working constructively with each other.

The CARGA agreement was solidified on March 12 stabilizing Premier David Eby’s slim, one-seat majority with the two B.C. Greens supporting the government.

The agreement is unique in Canada and differs from the confidence-and-supply agreement that the two parties had signed in 2017 because it allows the B.C. Greens to disagree with government in areas not explicitly covered by the accord.