B.C. Election Too Close to Call

(Screenshot from CBC British Columbia election coverage via YouTube)

A few days ago, I wrote about being glad I wasn't a voter in British Columbia. 

On Saturday night and into early Sunday morning, I was watching the election results via CBC British Columbia online and there will not be an official result for at least a week.

In order to form a government in B.C., a party needs to win 47 seats. As of this writing, the incumbent NDP government is elected or leading in 46 seats, the Conservatives elected and leading in 45 seats with the Green Party elected or leading in 2 seats although their leader Sonia Furstenau was defeated in the Victoria area riding she ran in by NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore. At least two seats will face recounts as the lead for the NDP in these two seats is less than 50 votes. Several other ridings have a margin of just over 100 votes. If things remain as they are, the NDP will likely form a minority government with the Greens as they did when they came to power in 2017. Whatever the outcome, it is a meteoric rise for the Conservative Party, a moribund political force in B.C. for more than 70 years, following the disastrous decision of the B.C. Liberal Party to rebrand as B.C. United.

I was struck by the jocularity of the journalists and commentators for CBC British Columbia as they had copious amounts of junk food while many of their comments elicited delightful laughter from the crew. Perhaps this was a product of an election taking place on a Saturday. 

On a personal note, I have long enjoyed watching election results, particularly from Canada. I have been away from Canada for nearly 25 years but am still interested in what goes on in my home and native land.

I will have two more opportunities to tune into Canadian politics before the end of the month. On Monday, voters in New Brunswick go to the polls where the Progressive Conservative government of Blaine Higgs is seeking its third consecutive term. Then one week later, on October 28th, voters in Saskatchewan go to the polls where the right-wing Saskatchewan Party is seeking its fifth consecutive term in office. 

Interestingly, both opposition leaders are women - New Brunswick Liberal Party leader Susan Holt and Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck. Currently, only one woman serves as a provincial Premier in Canada - Danielle Smith of Alberta's United Conservative Party. This number could treble before the end of the month with representation across the political spectrum. 

These election results will satiate the appetite of this political junkie until November 5th. Perhaps B.C.'s election will be decided by then.