On Tuesday evening, the B.C. Liberals were awarded their fourth majority mandate, despite polls which showed the NDP sweeping the vote.
Since the start of the election, pollsters showed the B.C. NDP forming a majority government from the incumbent Liberals. ThreeHundredEight.com projected an 83.3 per cent chance that the B.C. NDP would win the most seats in the Legislature, the day of the election. However, The B.C. Liberals were the ones to form government.
This is not the first time the polls have been wrong.
In the last Alberta provincial election, the final result was much different than the polling predictions. In the lead up to that election, polls showed the Wildrose Party defeating the long-time-governing Progressive Conservatives. However when the polls closed, and the votes were counted, much like Tuesday’s result, Alison Redford and the Progressive Conservatives won another majority.
The final result in the B.C. provincial election, showed the B.C. Liberals with 50 seats, the NDP with 33 seats, one independent and one Green seat – a first for the party.
Adrian Dix, the leader of the NDP, will be the only party leader that was voted into the Legislature. John Cummins, leader of the B.C. Conservatives, was defeated in his riding by both the NDP and Liberal competitors, placing him third in his area. Green Party Leader, Jane Sterk, was also unsuccessful against former NDP leader Carol James, in her riding.
The biggest shock however, must be that Premier Christy Clark was not voted back in as an MLA, despite leading her party to a successful majority. Losing to her NDP counterpart, David Eby, Premier Clark will have to go through a by-election in order to regain her position as the Province’s leader.
“Never a dull moment in B.C. politics,” Adrian Dix said, as he began his concession speech. And in this election, that reined true.
Connect with Parker Lund on Twitter @lund_parker.
Photo: BC Gov Photos
Follow Channels and Categories