New BC government: bad news for Trans Mountain?

British Columbia’s Liberal government has been defeated in a non-confidence vote, which paves the way for the New Democrats to rule the western Canadian province for the first time in 16 years.

The new NDP government will be propped up by the third-place Green party to achieve a slim parliamentary majority of one.

Last Thursday, seven weeks after a tense election, NDP and Green lawmakers used their 44 votes in the 87 member legislature to pass a non-confidence amendment to the Liberal government’s Throne Speech.

After the vote, NDP leader John Horgan told reporters he had met the province’s nominal head, Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon, and that she had invited him to form a new government, making him British Columbia’s next Premier.

NDP Leader John Horgan, has previously said that once he becomes Premier, he’ll take the legal route to block the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

The NDP and Greens struck an agreement last month to oust the right-leaning British Columbia Liberal party (unaffiliated with the left-leaning federal Liberal party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a statement on the change in government in B.C., saying he looks forward to working closely with Premier-designate John Horgan.

“By coming together in a spirit of cooperation, I am confident that we can grow the industries and sectors at the heart of the province’s prosperity, while promoting clean growth and innovation and investing in public transit and green infrastructure,” said Trudeau.

He made no mention of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project.