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If the price to become government is to reconsider spending the billions of dollars required to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, which is contested by First Nations and hurts Canada’s chances of meeting its Paris agreement climate targets, “I don’t think they will be as attached to that in a parliament where becoming prime minister depends on changing your mind.”

The provincial Green party’s experience in B.C. has demonstrated the role that a few representatives can play in a minority government and May said that example has taught her lessons about how to hold a government to account.

May said that in a “balance of responsibility” position federally, a Green caucus would be unlikely to strike a formal agreement to proper up a minority government.

She prefers the model of the 1960s government of Liberal prime minister Lester B. Pearson. That government, May said, delivered medicare, the Canada Pension Plan and unemployment insurance with the co-operation of an NDP caucus, but no formal coalition.

In B.C., May said, B.C. Leader Andrew Weaver’s Green caucus made “a very noble effort to assure British Columbians there wouldn’t be another election any minute,” by striking an agreement with the NDP Premier John Horgan.

However, while the agreement has helped keep government stable, May said she feels Horgan has “violated the spirit of the agreement,” with its decisions to approve B.C. Hydro’s Site C dam project and tax breaks for proposed liquefied natural gas projects.

And May said she would force another federal election before propping up a minority government that isn’t taking stronger action on climate action.