The 41st Parliament of British Columbia was in session from June 22, 2017, to September 21, 2020. It consisted of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, as elected by the general election of May 9, 2017, and subsequent by-elections, and the lieutenant governor of British Columbia, representing the Queen of Canada. It was the first parliament following the increase in size of the legislature from 85 to 87 seats. Immediately following the election, Christy Clark, the incumbent premier, asked Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon if she could continue governing until the final votes were counted and it would be known if there would be a majority or minority government. The lieutenant governor agreed and Clark appointed a cabinet of 21 ministers and 13 parliamentary secretaries, who were sworn in on June 12, 2017.
Although the final vote confirmed that the British Columbia Liberal Party under Clark remained the largest party in the legislative assembly after the election, the British Columbia New Democratic Party, under leader John Horgan, and Green Party of British Columbia, under Andrew Weaver, together held 44 seats (41 NDP and 3 Green) to the Liberals' 43. On May 29, 2017, the Greens announced they had agreed to a confidence and supply accord with the NDP which would allow the NDP to form a minority government.
Clark convened the Legislative Assembly on June 22, 2017, before losing a vote of confidence on June 29. As leader of a party professing it could gain and maintain the confidence of the Legislature, Horgan was then asked to serve as premier by the lieutenant governor and was sworn in, along with his 22-member cabinet, on July 18, 2017.
The minority parliament lasted for three and a half years despite the small combined NDP and Green working majority. The longevity of this one-seat working majority was made possible, in part, due to the expulsion of Abbotsford South MLA Darryl Plecas from the Liberal caucus after Plecas accepted his election as speaker of the legislature. The 41st Parliament ended on September 21, 2020, after Horgan requested the lieutenant governor dissolve the legislature and call a snap election for October 24, 2020, almost exactly one year ahead of the planned fixed date of October 16, 2021.
Party standings
+ Standings in the 41st British Columbia ParliamentAffiliationHouse members2017 electionresults At dissolution (September 21, 2020)434141413202Total members8786Total seats87
Election and appointments
The members of the legislative assembly were elected in the 41st general election, held on May 9, 2017. The election returned 43 BC Liberals, 41 BC NDP members, and 3 BC Greens. As the leader of the largest party, Christy Clark was offered, by Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, the first opportunity to form a government, though the BC Green Party had announced they would support the BC NDP. Clark accepted and appointed 21 members to her Executive Council and 13 parliamentary secretaries. The cabinet was largely the same as the 40th Parliament, but with Sam Sullivan and Linda Reid, as well as newcomers Jordan Sturdy, Ellis Ross, and Jas Johal replacing ministers who had retired or were defeated in the election. This cabinet only served during the Parliament's first session in which it lost a confidence vote and Clark resigned as an MLA, triggering a by-election in the Kelowna West riding.
After the government lost a confidence vote, the Lieutenant Governor refused Premier Clark's request to call an election and offered the second largest party, the BC NDP, the opportunity to form a government. BC NDP leader John Horgan agreed and appointed an Executive Council of 22 members and 6 parliamentary secretaries, including Carole James as deputy premier and Minister of Finance, Adrian Dix as Minister of Health, David Eby as Attorney General, Rob Fleming as Minister of Education, and Michelle Mungall as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
First session The first session of the 41st Parliament began on June 22, 2017, with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant Governor Guichon on behalf of the Premier Clark and the BC Liberal government. Acknowledging the split results of the election, the speech included not only BC Liberal election promises but also some from the opposition parties, such as banning corporate and union political donations, a maximum donation limit for individuals, a referendum on electoral reform, repealing the referendum requirement for new TransLink revenue sources, eliminating tolls on the Port Mann Bridge, and raising the carbon tax to $50 a tonne. When the throne speech finally came to a vote on June 26, both the NDP and Green parties introduced and voted for a motion of no confidence, defeating the government. In the meantime, the government had attempted to introduce two bills (one that would have reduced the number of MLAs necessary to form an official party within the legislative assembly from 4 to 3, thereby allowing the BC Green Party to gain such status and another addressing corporate and union political donations) but both were refused first reading.
Second session The second session began on September 8, 2017, and all bills were provided royal assent by November 30. On September 8, BC Liberal Darryl Plecas accepted the position of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and a speech from the throne was delivered again by Lieutenant Governor Guichon, this time on behalf of Premier Horgan and the BC NDP government with the support of the Green Party. Plecas was expelled from the BC Liberal the following day as a consequence for accepting the Speaker position; Plecas subsequently sat as an Independent and enforced more civility in the legislative assembly.
Legislative amendments related to elections and governance, the Constitution Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 5) reduced the number of MLAs necessary to form an official party within the legislative assembly from 4 to 2 and changed the fixed election date to October. The Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Act (Bill 6) requires a referendum respecting a proportional representation voting system be held no later than November 30, 2018. The ban on corporate, union and foreign donations was implemented with the Election Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 3) and Local Elections Campaign Financing Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 15) which required all political contributions be made by a resident of British Columbia and sets new maximum donation limits, including limits to third party sponsors, and political spending limits, as well as public subsidies until the year 2022 for the political parties who achieved 5% of the vote in their electoral districts (e.g. the BC NDP, BC Liberal and BC Green parties). The Lobbyists Registration Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 8) prohibited specified former public office holders (like former members of cabinet, deputy minister, chief executive officers, etc.) from lobbying activities for two years after leaving those positions.
Other bills that were adopted with support from all parties, included the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 16) to limit the use of a vacate clause in fixed-term tenancy agreements, limit rent increases imposed at the renewal of fixed-term tenancy agreements to a specified amount (i.e. 2% plus inflation), and increase enforcement abilities against repeat and serious violators of tenancy laws; the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 12) to create a system of e-Tickets for driving offences and e-Certificates of service, and validating the practice of impoundment of vehicles as a result of a roadside alcohol test; the Provincial Court Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 11) to extend the term of judicial appointments from 10 years to 12; the Sheriff Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 14) to enable sheriffs to collect personal information to a conduct threat or risk assessment; and the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Amendment Act, 2017 (Bill 13) to delete the requirement of print publication of new multilateral agreements.
Third session The third session began on February 13, 2018, with a new speech from the throne. Ben Stewart joined the legislative assembly as a result of the February 14 by-election in Kelowna West to replace former-Premier Christy Clark. There were no changes to the Executive Council. The Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2018 amended the property transfer tax to cover bare trusts and exempt bankruptcy transactions while increasing the rate paid on the portion of a real estate transaction that is beyond $3million; created an additional school tax applicable to residential properties assessed above $3million; created the means for municipalities to issue "revitalization school tax exemptions" for newly constructed rental housing; made online accommodation platform subject to the Provincial Sales Tax and the hotel tax; eliminated the education tax credit and expanded the film incentive tax credit include to scriptwriting; exempted marine diesel fuel used in inter-jurisdictional cruise ships from the motor fuel tax; increased the PST rate payable on passenger vehicles priced over $125,000; increased the tax on tobacco, and made requirements for additional information regarding residency to claim homeowner grant and property tax deferrals for the purpose of better enforcement. The budget passed on a vote of 44 in favour, 41 opposed. Another budget bill, Bill 44, created – on a 44 to 38 vote – a new payroll tax, on payrolls over $500,000, to replace the Medical Services premium. In a 43 to 42 vote, Bill 51 was adopted to update and modernize the Environmental Assessment Act. In a 43 to 31 vote, the Insurance (Vehicle) Amendment Act, 2018 was passed to limit ICBC accident benefit coverage for minor injuries and to increase the maximum payable limit for other injuries, including adding new coverage for various health care services. Related to the ICBC reforms, Bill 22 expanded the jurisdiction of the Civil Resolution Tribunal to include certain ICBC claim disputes.
Legislative amendments related to housing included Bill 45, which created the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, applicable to unoccupied residential properties in Metro Vancouver, the Capital Regional District, parts of the Fraser Valley Regional District and several other municipalities. Bill 12 addressed "renovictions" by extending the mandatory notice of eviction from 2 to 4 months, legally giving evicted tenants the right of first refusal for the renovated unit, increasing compensation a landlord found guilty of a bad-faith eviction must pay from 2 to 12 months' rent, as well as increasing compensation evicted tenants of manufactured home parks receive from 12 months pad rental to a prescribed sum related to the cost of moving the dwelling. Bill 25 amended the Real Estate Development Marketing Act to address pre-sale condo flipping by requiring developer consent to such activity and making it subject to property transfer tax. Amendments affecting local governments were contained in Bill 18, which requires local governments to collect and report information on housing, such as the available housing stock, and Bill 23, which gives local governments the ability to require, under a zoning regulation, that rental be the only form of occupancy permitted in specified units of multifamily residential developments.