Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon invites NDP Leader John Horgan to form a government

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      For the first time since 2001, B.C. will have an NDP premier.

      Outside Government House, NDP John Horgan said that Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon has asked him to form a government.

      It came after 41 NDP and three B.C. Green MLAs brought down the B.C. Liberal government in a nonconfidence vote.

      Horgan, 57, said that he expects to work harder than he's ever worked before, citing the fentanyl crisis, softwood lumber agreement, and class sizes in K-12 schools as three issues requiring attention.

      "Tomorrow, I'll begin putting together a government that will be making British Columbia better," he said.

      The NDP website describes Horgan as "a husband, a father, a former mill worker, [and] a cancer survivor".

      He was first elected to the legislature in 2005 in Malahat-Juan de Fuca. He now represents Langford-Juan de Fuca.

      In his media briefing, Horgan said that he was hungry, so he didn't stay long to answer questions.

      After he left Government House, his party issued the following statement under his name:

      "Today, British Columbia got a new government that will work every single day to make life better for people.

      "British Columbians work hard to build a better life for themselves and their families. But for years, life in B.C. has been getting harder and more expensive. That's about to change.

      "There’s a lot of work to do to fix the problems British Columbians are facing. And we’re ready to get started.

      "It's time for new leadership that makes life more affordable for people.

      “It's time to shorten health care wait times and invest in better schools for our kids.

      “It's time to build a sustainable economy with good-paying, stable jobs in every corner of this province.

      "It's time to build a better B.C., together."

      Christy Clark will remain premier until Horgan is sworn into office.

      The B.C. Greens have pledged to support the NDP on supply and confidence bills.

      The leader of the B.C. Greens, Andrew Weaver, said in a statement that he's "delighted that British Columbians will finally have a new government”.

      “When we launched our election campaign, we promised to do politics differently," he said. "Our Confidence and Supply Agreement lays the groundwork for a new kind of collaborative, productive parliament."

      Weaver also said that as an opposition caucus, he and the two other B.C. Green MLAs "will collaborate with our colleagues on both sides of the house to advance good public policy that will put the interests of British Columbians first, as well as hold the government to account for their decisions and actions".

      “On May 9, British Columbians sent us a strong signal that they want us to work together—no party was given a majority of seats and 100 percent of the power," Weaver continued. "I am encouraged that the leaders of both other parties have acknowledged this.”

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