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VICTORIA – B.C.’s New Democrats will return to power at the legislature for the first time in 16 years, after toppling Premier Christy Clark’s Liberals Thursday and being asked by the lieutenant-governor to form the next government.

NDP Leader John Horgan was summoned to Government House by Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon and asked by the vice-regal representative to become the province’s 36th premier. That followed the Clark government’s defeat on a vote of confidence in the legislature and her subsequent resignation.

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“As lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, and as the representative of Her Majesty the Queen of Canada, I have met with Premier Clark and will accept her resignation,” said Guichon in a statement.

“I have asked Mr. Horgan to form a government, he having assured me that he can form a government which will have the confidence of the legislative assembly.”

Horgan emerged from Government House to cheers from supporters and chants of “NDP.”

“I look forward to working harder than I’ve ever worked before,” said Horgan, who is premier-designate until his official swearing-in, probably in two to three weeks.

Horgan’s meeting with Guichon was brief and came after Clark spent more than an hour inside Government House in which, she later confirmed, she asked Guichon for dissolution of the house and a new election.

That advice was rejected by Guichon, who then called Horgan.

“She wanted to make sure in speaking to the premier and to me that the continuity of government was going to be there, and the systems of structures we hold so dear here were going to be in good hands,” Horgan said of his conversation with Guichon.

“And I assured her I would do my level best … there is an enormous amount of work to do.”