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The B.C. Liberals, facing defeat in the legislature, will release financial year-end numbers Wednesday before the auditor generals office has had a chance to sign off on them.

The B.C. NDP and B.C. Green Party characterized the move as the last gasp of a dying government

But Finance Minister Mike deJong defended the decision to release the 2016-17 figures, saying the government issues financial updates all the time.

I dont think theres anything unusual with that, he said. Im not trying to present something as something theyre not. They are a summary of what has taken place and also an update on what has taken place in 2017.

So I should think people would be very interested to know how weve done.

Auditor general Carol Bellringer said her office is still reviewing the statements and called it unusual for the government to release the numbers before they have been certified by her office.

On a quarterly basis its not unusual, but I dont know that theyve ever done it at year-end before, she said in an interview. I mean, its obviously not being introduced as a new practice; its being introduced because of the timing around the situation the governments in.

Bellringer was unable to say how much the numbers will change by the time they are certified. Theres quite a few things were still talking to them about.

De Jong said the auditor generals office will be in a position to certify the numbers next week, but Bellringer said no date has been set. Until we know everything thats going to unfold over the next two weeks, we dont know when were going to release our opinion.

De Jong acknowledged that somebody other than him may be handling the file by then anyway.

The NDP and Green Party are expected to defeat the Liberals in a vote of non-confidence on the throne speech set for Thursday afternoon. Once that happens, Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon will either call another election or ask the NDP to form a minority government and seek the confidence of the house.

No party won a majority of seats in the May 9 election but the 41 NDP MLAs and three Greens have signed an accord to topple the 43 Liberals led by Premier Christy Clark and replace her with NDP Leader John Horgan.

The Liberals tried to avoid defeat last week with a throne speech that borrowed heavily from the NDP and Green campaign platforms and promised dozens of new programs not included in Februarys budget.

De Jong and Clark said the proposed spending spree was possible because the provincial economy is performing better than expected.

The NDPs Carole James, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill, portrayed the rushed release of the provinces financial picture as a desperate ploy by the Liberals. This is another game, another tactic, another distraction by a premier who wants to hang onto power for herself, not for the public.

James said shell wait to see the numbers. If they are as positive as the finance minister is claiming, then Ill be looking forward to the B.C. Liberals support for our entire platform, she said.

Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver predicted that the Liberals will trumpet the provinces strong economic performance while ignoring the factors behind it.

The game will be, Look at the economy, rah, rah rah, he said. But frankly . . .this is all coming from the construction industry in Vancouver and an out-of-control real estate sector. The subtext wont be there.

De Jong stirred controversy elsewhere Tuesday by tabling a letter in the legislature that asks Speaker Steve Thomson to clarify the role that he or his replacement will play in the event of tie votes.

Thomson, Liberal MLA for Kelowna-Mission, was acclaimed to the post last Thursday.

De Jong said his analysis shows that when legislation gets to third reading and there is a tie, unless its a confidence motion, the Speaker is bound to vote against the bill.

That makes passage of a bill very, very . . . well, it makes it impossible in that case, he said.

De Jong said the issue is critical because a reconfigured parliament under an NDP minority government could result in tie votes on a regular basis.

The Liberals have suggested that Thomson will resign as Speaker if the government falls, leaving the subsequent NDP government to find a replacement from within its ranks. In that scenario, the government and Opposition sides of the house will have 43 MLAs apiece, requiring the Speaker to break ties.

The NDPs Mike Farnworth dismissed de Jongs letter as more games-playing by the Liberals. He fired off his own letter to the Speaker, arguing that de Jongs requested ruling exceeds the Speakers authority.

Farnworth said in an interview the rules are clear that a Speaker can cast a deciding vote. Has it been used very often? No. But then we are not usually in a minority government situation, but the provision is there, he said. I feel quite confident that the existing standing orders will allow a government to function. Will it be challenging making sure all the numbers are there for when the required votes are in place? Of course.

Weaver accused de Jong and the premier of setting traps and trying to create uncertainty in order to trigger an election that nobody wants.

He called it extraordinary that de Jong would ask Thomson, who has been in the Speakers job fewer than three days, to make a constitutional ruling.

Its very odd that you would elect a Speaker, who you say is going to step down, to come up with a ruling that wont apply to him in the role of Speaker, because hell step down. I mean, this is just a game for the B.C. Liberals.

lkines@timescolonist.com

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BC Liberals rush to release financial books, NDP see a ploy - Times Colonist