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Weaver has already worked up a response to calls for the Greens to drop out of the byelection fight lest they help defeat the New Democrats and elect the Liberals.

“Actually, the NDP and Liberal candidates should bow out instead,” he wrote on social media. “Nanaimo would get incredible representation putting their interests first, instead of party insider interests. And that would ensure neither the NDP nor Liberals split our vote.”

Weaver has used lines like that before in response to previous calls for the Greens to avoid vote splitting.

But the call has been given added impetus by him having established a power-sharing partnership with Premier John Horgan and the New Democrats.

Both leaders ended the year by expressing satisfaction with the working relationship.

“Andrew and I, although we disagree on many issues, we have a shared set of values we come back to whenever we are in a difficult moment,” said Horgan during an interview with Rob Shaw of Postmedia News.

“He ain’t going to change, nor am I. But both of us have changed in as much as we’ve recognized this is a huge opportunity to get a lot of stuff done working together.

“I thought that it would be very difficult to work with the NDP,” said Weaver in a year ender with the CBC’s Tanya Fletcher. “But over the course of this year what has surprised me most is that not only have I seen this work, but it’s become clear to me that I really like John Horgan. He’s a guy I’d go for a beer with.