BC Green Party could decide the future of BC

It is already shaping up to be a big night for the BC Green Party.

The closest run election in recent memory has already seen the Greens double their popular vote from 2013, they’ve also doubled their number of seats from the last election and might yet add to their total with the party predicted to win a third riding as well.

Winning four seats would give them official party status in the legislature. But there could be a bigger prize in store for the BC Green Party.

Coalition or minority government

Current projections suggest that BC could be on course for its first minority government since 1953, and if that’s the case then the BC Green Party could hold the balance of power.

With three or even four seats the Greens could have a big say on the outcome of the election, and all eyes would be on leader Andrew Weaver to find out who the Greens would pledge support to and under what conditions.

A coalition government could see the Greens enter into a formal arrangement with either the Liberals or the NDP, perhaps with the added promise of cabinet positions.

That would certainly be a change for the province. After all the last time BC was governed by a coalition was when the Liberals and the Conservatives governed between 1941 and 1951.

If the Greens don’t enter into a coalition then we could see a minority government, where the ruling party must regularly negotiate with other parties in order to pass their legislation.

But even in this scenario the Greens could have an important part to play and those three or four seats could be vitally important to legislative votes.

It’s early and there’s still a long way to go in this BC Election, but one thing for sure is that it’s going to be a big night for the BC Green Party – in more ways than one.