According to the B.C. Liberals, lessons learned from winning the battle but losing the war in the recent provincial election pushed them to make two serious u-turns in political direction. Hogwash.

Social Development Minister Heather Stillwell91裸聊视频檚 insistence the Liberals will increase welfare rates by $100 per month91裸聊视频攁fter a decade-long freeze91裸聊视频攁nd Attorney General Andrew Wilkinson91裸聊视频檚 saying big money donations to parties will be banned are political moves, pure and simple.

They are aimed at making the NDP and Greens vote against two positions they support when they vote down the Liberals91裸聊视频� Throne Speech in order to bring down Christy Clark91裸聊视频檚 government. They will also be used by the Liberals to claim credit when they are reintroduced in the coming months by the yet-to-be installed new NDP minority government.

Cynical? Nah. It91裸聊视频檚 the way politics is played.

So too is the kerfuffle brewing over the tenure of the speaker of the Legislature the Liberals plan to put forward later this week. But in that case, the Liberals are right.

It91裸聊视频檚 not up to the Liberals to provide a speaker for a party that not only plans to bring down Clark91裸聊视频檚 government, but also plans to do it to take the reigns of power with a one-seat majority thanks to the B.C. Greens.

As the NDP has pointed out, the party in power has a responsibility to appoint a speaker. If that91裸聊视频檚 the NDP, it91裸聊视频檚 their job. If it91裸聊视频檚 to the detriment of NDP voting strength, that91裸聊视频檚 its problem.

So the Liberal speaker plans to step down after the Liberal government is brought down. And the NDP91裸聊视频檚 one-seat majority will evaporate in straight forward head-to-head voting with the Liberals in the Legislature. That is unless its 91裸聊视频渘eutral91裸聊视频� speaker starts regularly breaking tied votes in its favour. And that91裸聊视频檚 something the supposedly neutral speaker is only expected to do on rare occasions, not as a matter of course. Kinda takes the neutrality out of the job, eh?

But welcome to the new normal of B.C politics.

All this, of course, is because voters left the make-up of the Legislature at 43 seats for the Liberals, 41 for the NDP and three for the Greens.

And these issues are just a foreshadow of some of the difficulties facing an NDP minority government. Whether it91裸聊视频檚 a final decision on the Site C dam91裸聊视频攁 real Hobson91裸聊视频檚 choice for leader and premier-in-waiting John Horgan91裸聊视频攎inimum wage or Lower Mainland bridge tolls, Clark91裸聊视频檚 Liberals are not about to make this easy for him.

And remember, Clark told us she heard the message from voters loud and clear. She said they want B.C. politicians to work better together. If this is 91裸聊视频渂etter,91裸聊视频� I91裸聊视频檇 hate to see when things really get ugly and both sides drop the gloves for some real parliamentary pugilism.

One thing is for sure, the start of the next B.C. election campaign, not matter when that vote occurs, will start the minute MLAs walk into the Legislature later this week. So don91裸聊视频檛 expect Robert91裸聊视频檚, or anyone else91裸聊视频檚, Rules of Order.

Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.