Gloves removed? Emboldened by a majority, British Columbia’s prime minister is tougher, but some praise slow and steady progress on priorities.

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When it comes to the question period in the legislature, no one is better than Prime Minister John Horgan in gaining the support of political opponents.

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Horgan’s rudimentary style of responding with punches and insults frequently throws members of the opposition into boos and frenzied banging at desks.

“I will follow the guidance of the spokespersons on the other side when they apologize for what they did to health workers and the people of British Columbia for 16 years,” Horgan said, responding to opposition attacks earlier this year that his government was not being transparent about COVID-19 data.

As he celebrates the first anniversary of his majority rule, Horgan enjoys the distinction of being the country’s most popular prime minister, according to opinion polls, but some question whether his take-no-prisoners attitude will impede the cooperation shown under his tenure. previous minority government, which passed legislation that led the country’s early response to the pandemic.

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Critics insist his call for snap elections has not led to the urgent reforms promised to voters. Others believe that the constant and incremental work of the BCN on issues such as housing and indigenous reconciliation will lead to transformative change.

“The government has earned the trust of the people of British Columbia,” said Stewart Prest, professor of political science at Douglas College. “It was the reputation that it lost in the 1990s and now it’s back.”

Horgan has spent most of his 16 years in the legislature as a member of the opposition. Once known for his outbursts of anger, he has learned to cool his temper since he became party leader in 2014, but the prime minister still struggles to suppress harmful and off-the-wall comments.

He called the Fairy Creek protesters “anarchists” and showed little sympathy for those who died during the heat dome last June, stating that being prepared for the high temperatures was “a matter of personal responsibility” adding that “the deaths they are a fact of life. ” “

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Lately, the Horgan government has come under fire for a lack of transparency. The newly introduced legislation to amend BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act has been eviscerated by the government-appointed privacy commissioner who called it “useless” and “a barrier to accountability.”

Green leader Sonia Furstenau said the current session marks “a colossal decline in collegiality and cooperation,” noting that the prime minister has rejected green and liberal requests to reestablish all-party committees that would work on solutions to the opioid crisis and would help to reconcile with the Indigenous People and Metis.

“I am not surprised that the opposition takes the opportunity to say that everything I do is horrible, while I am willing to say that sometimes they are very useful,” Horgan said. “And somewhere in between is where I hope the public wants us to be. They want us to focus on their needs, not what happens in the legislature. “

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Prest warns that the tendency of majority governments to push their agendas without cooperation may lead to their demise.

“They are showing some of the characteristics of a comfortable ruling majority, where they start to think in terms of being the government and not think about what it will be like the next time they are in opposition,” Prest said.

Liberal opposition leader Shirley Bond said British Columbia “should be very disappointed in John Horgan.”

“He told the people of British Columbia that it was essential that he call early elections,” Bond said. “Here we are a year later. He is still missing in action in a series of critical files: the opioid crisis, the heat dome. The urgency felt by this prime minister that led him to call pandemic elections, along with his promises, has not materialized. “

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Jens Wieting, a Sierra Club BC climate activist, said it’s typical of the Horgan government to fulfill a promise with one hand and undermine it with the other.

“This government continues to deny the climate emergency and is selective in its arguments,” he said. “We see promises to protect old trees while logging continues. John Horgan continues to push for pipeline and LNG expansion while claiming to respect indigenous rights. “

The prime minister does not apologize for the decisions he has made.

“The best way to deal with politics is to ask the public what they think. We did and I am grateful that they have returned majority government to us so that we can meet the challenges we face. I think the decision was the right one at the time and it has proven to be the case. “

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After the 2020 elections, the first act of the NDP government was to reward voters with a pandemic recovery grant of $ 500 for individuals and $ 1,000 for families. 23 bills were introduced in the current session, including the creation of a new Crown corporation for investment, the revision of ICBC to prevent people from suing the insurer, and amendments that will set the stage for future forest management.

Two bills, which include child care workers and programs under the Ministry of Education, will be “transformative” according to Emily Gawlick, executive director of Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia.

“They have provided 9,000 scholarships, expanded higher education programs, increased hourly wages, and are creating more accessible and affordable child care spaces,” he said. “We have been told that we will be asked to provide information as the plans are implemented and we are looking forward to it.”

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Housing expert Marc Lee of the Center for Policy Alternatives supports the government’s program to stimulate affordable housing and address homelessness, but believes they are not ambitious enough.

“More needs to be done in nonprofit housing, but it takes a little time to get these things off the ground and they’ve been moving forward on several different fronts,” said Lee, who credits the government with generating more renters. eligible for subsidies and improved tenant protection against rent increases and renovations.

Prest said it would be unfair to judge Horgan’s majority government too harshly so early in his tenure.

“They had a very stable minority government with a willing partner in the Green Party and some of those big problems that they were hoping to tackle they were able to solve. So now the government is holding on and gradually moving in various directions, ”he said.

But he warned that incremental work that doesn’t produce substantial profits could hurt the Horgan government.

“It’s good to take your time to get it right, but waiting too long to act is bad and may not be enough for the task and challenges ahead.”