Eby says ‘nothing’s off the table’ in talks with Greens, Furstenau stays on as leader

Premier David Eby says “nothing’s disconnected the table” successful imaginable talks with the BC Green Party implicit a number government, but that the Greens aren’t yet acceptable for negotiations.

Eby made the comments Tuesday, arsenic the Greens revealed Sonia Furstenau, who mislaid her spot successful Saturday’s election, volition enactment connected arsenic enactment leader.

“The Greens person advised america they are not acceptable yet to prosecute successful those conversations, but we are preparing for what we anticipation is the likelihood, the result of the counting, without taking thing for granted, we are making definite we are acceptable to go,” Eby said from Vancouver.

“Nothing is disconnected the table, we volition person those conversations and we volition find a mode to marque the legislature enactment for British Columbians connected the priorities they sent america backmost to Victoria to enactment on.”

Any imaginable talks betwixt the 2 parties whitethorn beryllium to beryllium a moot point, pending the result of Elections BC’s last ballot count.

The preliminary number near the NDP with 46 seats, the BC Conservatives with 45 seats and the BC Greens with 2 seats. Forty-seven seats are needed for a majority. But 2 races wherever the NDP pb by less than 100 votes are headed to a recount, and Elections BC says it has besides yet to number astir 50,000 absentee and mail-in ballots.

The results are adjacent capable that either the NDP oregon the Conservatives could find themselves with a bulk aft the last count.

But should Eby beryllium returned to caput a number government, helium said helium was committed to uncovering a mode to enactment with the Greens.

Eby did not straight reply erstwhile asked however helium would flooded immoderate atrocious humor remaining from the NDP’s determination successful 2020 to interruption its Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Greens and clasp an aboriginal provincial election.

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But helium did respond to questions astir the enactment targeting Green voters during the predetermination campaign.

“In the mirror, the Greens were encouraging radical to cull the NDP and ballot for the Greens, that’s however predetermination campaigns go,” Eby said.

“But 1 happening I americium definite of is that British Columbians voted successful the bulk for a progressive imaginativeness for our province, and we person a batch of shared values successful communal with the Green Party that format instauration for the conversations we volition person to person with them.”

The Greens, meanwhile, said Tuesday that Sonia Furstenau would proceed to pb the party, astatine slightest for now.

Furstenau was defeated connected Saturday successful her effort to unseat NDP Children and Family Development Minister Grace Lore successful the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding.

“British Columbians demonstrated that they don’t spot immoderate 1 enactment with 100% of the power,” Furtsenau said successful a statement.

“They request our adjacent authorities to permission the negativity and toxicity of the run behind, get down to enactment and commencement delivering for them. I americium prepared to supply guidance and counsel arsenic our enactment and our state participate this caller chapter.”

Both elected Green MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote successful West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Rob Botterell successful Saanich North and the Islands, backed Furstenau’s determination to enactment connected arsenic leader.

The BC Conservatives, meanwhile, haven’t ruled retired trying to woo the Greens, should the number concern clasp up aft each votes are counted.

Elections BC has scheduled the last number for Oct. 26 to Oct. 28.