The B.C. Green Party said Monday it won’t renew a co-operation agreement with the NDP government.
Green Leader Emily Lowan said the NDP failed to deliver action on about two-thirds of the priorities laid out in the 2025 agreement. She pointed specifically to funding for community health centres, improved transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor and expanded public coverage for psychologists.
The agreement, known as CARGA, came into effect on March 12, 2025. The intent was for the NDP and the Greens to work together on shared priorities, ranging from mental health care to electoral reform. The Greens also agreed to support the NDP in certain votes.
The two parties were in the process of re-negotiating the agreement over the past two months. Lowan said the two sides reached an impasse in recent days as the NDP refused a number of Green proposals, including those related to proportional representation and increased taxes on the ultra-wealthy.
“It is incredibly clear to me now that the gap between our parties is growing,” Lowan said.
Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, said the party has made no voting commitments for the upcoming spring session of the legislature.
Fellow Green MLA Jeremy Valeriote said they will vote on a case-by-case basis.
“We can work with anyone on good ideas,” Valeriote said. “It’s a big concern when this government commits in writing to shared priorities and then doesn’t follow through.”
The NDP has a one-seat majority in the legislature, and two MLAs — Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore and Vancouver-Strathcona MLA Joan Phillip — have ongoing health issues.
The Greens’ announcement came less than an hour after Premier David Eby said at an unrelated press conference that his party was still engaging with the Greens and trying to find a path forward.
Eby said his party has the votes it needs and that members who are receiving medical treatment will still be able to vote this session.
Deputy Premier and Attorney General Niki Sharma said later on Monday the NDP was “disappointed” at the Green’s decision to walk away from CARGA.
Sharma said that the two sides were unable to find common ground because the Greens won’t rule out voting with the Conservatives on confidence measures to trigger an election. She said not having the agreement in place with create more uncertainty in the House.
Lowan, who does not hold a seat in the legislature, said the party has no interest in an early election. However, she said she has been “laser-focused” on preparing for one “whenever that may be.”
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