B.C. hedges its bets
British Columbia could have clout in Canada’s post-election Parliament if the polls suggesting 11 weeks of campaigning have left the province’s voters split three ways hold fast in Monday’s vote.
British Columbia appears poised to hedge its bets and elect healthy contingents of Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats. Observers say such a result in the province, which in the recent past was largely split between the NDP and Conservatives, could be key to determining the outcome.
Political scientist Paul Fairie, who has designed The Globe and Mail’s Election Forecast, said the campaign is ending with B.C. as the closest three-way race in Canada, with each of the three main parties near 30 per cent. “It’s genuinely hard to say who is going to come in first, second or third,” Mr. Fairie said.
Given that the leaders of the Liberals and the NDP have declared they would not prop up the Conservatives if they do not win another majority, the minority government that seems like a probable outcome of that declaration would include many B.C. MPs.
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