Vaughn Palmer: NDP trots out vote-splitting warning, Green leader pushes back strongly

VICTORIA — The New Democrats launched a familiar last-minute campaign pitch on the weekend, warning the electorate not to vote Green, lest they split the progressive-left vote and elect B.C. Conservative MLAs by mistake.

“If you voted Green in the past, I’m inviting you to join us in this election,” NDP leader David Eby declared Sunday. “There is too much at stake. We can stop Conservative cuts and build B.C. strong — but only if we stand together.

“I know I’m not perfect and our government hasn’t been perfect,” said Eby, repeating the stab-at-humility that he attempted during the televised leader’s debate.

“I know there are a lot of people out there who are really frustrated that there’s an election,” said Eby, further acknowledging how the early election call has worked against him and his party.

“You may still be frustrated,” he conceded. “But I think we can all agree that this election is about more than election timing.

“This election is about the future of the direction of our province and not with some of the small differences that we may have with people who are thinking about voting Green, but huge differences with the Conservatives.”

Eby’s attack drew a strong response from Green Leader Emily Lowan, demonstrating — as she did during the TV debate — that she is no pushover.

On the early election call: “David Eby called this snap election two years early. Now he’s trying to scare British Columbians into voting for him.”

On the “small” differences between the NDP and the Greens: “Tell that to the families waiting on the $10-a-day child care he froze, the seniors waiting on the seven long-term care homes he delayed, and the renters still waiting for housing they can actually afford. Tell it to the nurses I stood with on the picket line this summer, to the First Nations who watched him try to suspend parts of DRIPA, and to everyone still waiting for the climate action he ran away from.”

On Eby saying he and the NDP are not perfect: “British Columbians aren’t asking for perfect. They’re asking for a government that keeps its word, makes life affordable, and makes sure care is there when they need it.”

She closed by referring to the breakthrough victory by Green candidate Pete Fry in the Vancouver mayoralty election Saturday. “British Columbians can send that same Green message across the province on election day,” said Lowan.

It was not the first time that the New Democrats have closed out a provincial election campaign by trying to frighten voters away from voting Green. The Green focus is always the provincial capital region and southern Vancouver Island, as was evident Sunday when the NDP campaign bought a four-page wraparound in the Victoria Times Colonist.

“Last election, in 11 seats, the Green vote wasn’t enough to elect a Green candidate,” said Eby. “But it was the difference between a Conservative being elected and the NDP being elected.”

To underscore the math, the NDP advertisement depicted nine NDP candidates, seven of them incumbents, all of them running in ridings in the South Island region.

Lowan is running Saanich North and the Islands, previously held by Green Rob Botterell and before that Adam Olsen.

The Green leader drew accolades Friday from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. He praised her for being “a strong and courageous ally for Indigenous peoples.”

The endorsement raised eyebrows in NDP circles because the grand chief’s late wife, Joan, was an NDP MLA until she died earlier this year.

Later Friday, Phillip put out a second statement, with an overall endorsement of Eby as “the best choice as leader of our province.”

The Greens, under Lowan’s leadership, managed the impressive feat of nominating candidates in 80 per cent of the province’s 93 ridings.

Realistically, Lowan acknowledges the best bet is for her party to secure the balance of power in a legislature where neither the New Democrats nor the Conservatives have a majority.

If so, the price for Green support would be adoption of proportional representation for the next provincial election.

“If we have a minority government, that is our singular hill to die on in the negotiations with whoever becomes government in a minority setting,” Lowan told reporters last week. “It is finally time that the B.C. Greens use our leverage in a minority government to pass proportional representation as part of that agreement.”

The shift to proportional representation has three times failed to get enough votes for adoption. This time, the Greens want the province to move directly to PR, without another referendum.

Eby gave the idea short shrift when the Greens proposed it last year. But if he falls short of a legislative majority, he would have little leverage to reject it a second time.