MLA Says Minority Government Is ‘Uncharted Waters’

It’s now official.

BC has its first minority government in 65 years.

After the final vote count in the closely contested riding of Courtenay Comox, the NDP candidate beat the Liberal by 189 votes, the same outcome as election night but by a wider margin.

It leaves the Liberals one-seat short of a majority, with 43 seats.

The NDP has 41 seats, and the Greens hold the balance of power with three seats.

Liberal Eric Foster — who won his third term in Vernon Monashee — says it’s uncharted waters.

“It’s going to be different. Minority governments are all about compromise, so everybody has to bend a little if it’s going to last at all,” Foster tells Kiss FM.

Foster says the Green Party has to decide which way it will go, to work with the Liberals or NDP.

“They have to find compromise as well because if no one is willing to compromise, we’ll be doing this (election) all over again in a few moths, and I don’t think anybody really wants that right now,” adds Foster.