GOVERNMENT House Leader Michael de Jong on Wednesday announced that on behalf of Premier Christy Clark he had  informed the Office of the Speaker that the Legislature will be recalled on Thursday, June 22.

He said: “The first order of business in this new parliament will be the election of a speaker. After which, and in the aftermath of a very close election, the government will seek to determine if it continues to enjoy the confidence of the House.”

BC NDP Leader John Horgan had a dig at Clark, noting: “By the time Christy Clark finally gets to work on June 22, it will be more than six weeks since British Columbians voted overwhelmingly to replace her. I’m surprised it’s taken Christy Clark this long, but I’m hopeful she will agree to test the confidence of the House immediately so British Columbians get the new government they voted for.

“British Columbians are ready for a new government that works for them instead of the people at the top. And I’m ready to deliver it.”

B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver said in a statement: “I’m glad that the Premier has finally decided to recall the Legislature. In the weeks since the election, it has been encouraging to see all three parties agree that British Columbians want us to work together. The B.C. Green Caucus looks forward to meeting our colleagues from both other parties in the House so that we can get to work delivering good public policy that will make a difference in the lives of British Columbians.”

MEANWHILE, Andrew Weaver, Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen were sworn in as Members of the Legislative Assembly today in Victoria. Weaver, Furstenau and Olsen were elected as British Columbia’s first B.C. Green Caucus on May 9.

“I am delighted that Sonia and Adam have officially joined me in the Legislature,” Weaver said. “This marks a new era of B.C. politics. With the election of B.C.’s first Green Caucus and a minority government, we have a real opportunity to do politics differently. We look forward to getting to work for our constituents and the people of British Columbia.”

The Liberal and NDP MLAs-elect will be sworn in on Thursday.