Whether the end result of the election is a razor-thin majority for the Liberals or a minority government with the support of the Greens, in the new political landscape individual MLAs suddenly got more powerful.
That’s the assessment of Greg Lyle, a pollster and political analyst with Innovative Research.
Regardless of who eventually forms government, in a legislature with just one or two seats separating government from opposition, and intrigues involving possible “poaching” of MLAs from one party to another, MLAs will be in a unique position to have their concerns heard, said Lyle.
“All the MLAs matter,” he said. “Ultimate power in a parliamentary system lies in the members of the legislature. The house is going to matter in a big way.”
While Liberal incumbents held on to their seats in three North Shore strongholds, their share of the popular vote slipped in Tuesday’s election, reflecting a trend seen across the urban ridings of Metro Vancouver.
Lyle said the collapse in support is likely tied to issues like housing affordability and traffic congestion, which were key for voters in the region. “Anyone who tries to get across the Second Narrows Bridge at 3 p.m. knows what I’m talking about,” he said.
Polling prior to the election showed even Liberal supporters weren’t especially excited about the party’s status quo platform, he said.
In contrast, the NDP platform offered voters “a bunch of tangible things” they could relate to their own lives, he said.
Some of the Liberal support may have gone to the Green Party, which saw their vote share increase across the Lower Mainland, including on the North Shore.
“It sure looks like they took some Liberal votes,” said Lyle, who added the Greens might appeal to “left Liberals” who believe in economic growth but are also concerned about social issues. “Those sorts of people may not be prepared to go to the NDP but they want to send a message to the Liberals,” he said.
On the North Shore, the Greens were particularly strong in the West Vancouver- Sea to Sky riding, where environmental issues were important in the campaign. There, the Greens captured 28 per cent of the vote – a marginally higher percentage than the NDP at 27 per cent.
