B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver hammered the NDP Thursday for curtailing debate of the premier’s budget. The legislature had set aside a day and a half for opposition parties to question Christy Clark on a range of issues.

But NDP Leader John Horgan shut things down after less than four hours on Wednesday.

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Weaver, who represents Oak Bay-Gordon Head, said the “shocking” move was designed to prevent him from joining the debate. “I had so many questions I wanted to ask today, but unfortunately, the premier’s estimates ended early,” he told the legislature. “I guess the leader of the official Opposition was afraid, as I was scheduled to be up on premier’s estimates today.”

Weaver later told reporters that Horgan’s decision showed weakness. “A government in waiting does not balk at the opportunity to challenge the premier,” he said. “The official Opposition scurried away, hid from the premier.”

NDP house leader Mike Farnworth fired back at Weaver, saying the Green leader is still smarting from the backlash over his support of the premier’s stipend from the B.C. Liberal Party. “I think he’s showing that he’s extremely sensitive to criticism, particularly around his latest comments that he thinks the premier as a single mom can’t get by on $200,000 and deserves a $50,000 top-up,” he said.

“I think he’s been stung by the criticism, deservedly so, that he’s received on that issue and he’s lashing out.”

Farnworth said Horgan had other meetings with municipal leaders on Thursday, so concluded the estimates debate just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. “He did the estimates. She’s not answering questions. He’s finished with what he’s needed to do, and estimates ended.”

Farnworth said Weaver never approached the NDP about getting a chance to ask questions. “He could have come and said, ‘Hey, Mike, when can I get up?’ None of that.”

Farnworth also rejected the suggestion that other NDP MLAs could have asked the premier questions Thursday if Horgan was otherwise occupied.

“It’s not traditionally done that way; it’s always been the leader of the Opposition,” Farnworth said.

Clark disputed that.

“When Gordon Campbell was the Opposition leader, I remember he didn’t carry all the estimates himself,” she said, noting that sometimes she or someone else would ask questions as well.

Clark said that Horgan’s decision to curb the debate caught her by surprise.

“Estimates is about them holding the government to account,” she said. “I’ve been in some pretty uncomfortable estimates over the years, because they get free rein to ask whatever they want. It’s such a perfect forum for the Opposition usually; I was surprised.”

lkines@timescolonist.com