Legislature Lights out plan drawing flack

The idea of scrapping the fall session of the BC Legislature is starting to catch the attention of folks across the province. As we commented on yesterday, the Liberal Government is toying with the idea of abandoning the idea of a fall sitting, an idea that the media and the NDP opposition are making much hay on.

The topic was the main point of discussion on the Bill Good Show Friday morning, as Vaughn Palmer and Keith Baldry joined Good for Cutting edge of the Leg. It made for an informative conversation on the possible fall out over the plan and a bit of a history lesson on past government handling of legislative matters. (see audio vault 9-10 am, Friday)

Suggesting that it paints the Gordon Campbell government as being a tad dismissive of the importance of legislature debate, they pointed out that this was a government that brought in a revised legislature calendar with fixed dates of discussion. It provided for a system that took the process of democracy away from the whims of a Premier and made the place more accountable. Now with no particular agenda to bring forth, they instead now are acting like many governments of the past, arbitrarily deciding when, where and what they want to debate.

It’s a plan that has caught the attention of the NDP opposition leader Carole James, who suggests that if the government has no agenda, she would be more than happy to provide one for them to work on.

The issue has also brought reaction from the local MLA for the North Coast; Gary Coons put forward his thoughts on the issue with a front page story in the Daily News.

GOVERNMENT OUT TO STILFE DEBATE CLAIMS COONS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, September 7, 2006
Pages One and Five

The voice of the people will be silenced if the provincial Liberals cancel the fall sitting of the B. C. legislature, said North Coast MLA Gary Coons.

Yesterday, Liberal House leader Mike de Jong said the planned eight week sitting will likely be chopped to a maximum of one day.

“Basically, we just see the Liberals silencing the legislature and silencing the voters,” said North Coast MLA Gary Coons.

“I see the government as trying to run away from the scrutiny of question period and debate and being held accountable.”

De Jong said the government has no legislation to bring forward for the session and MLAs’ time can be better spent on other work.

“We’re not sitting just for the sake of sitting or passing laws just for the sake of passing laws,” he said. “That’s not how I measure a successful government.”

The legislature was scheduled to sit from Oct. 2 to the end of November. De Jong said it may be recalled for one day to approve the hiring of a new child and youth officer if a legislative committee can agree on a candidate. The position was recommended by Ted Hughes in his report on problems in the ministry of children and families.

However, Coons said the legislature is a vital part of government and a one-day sitting is ridiculous.

“Just because we aren’t introducing legislation doesn’t mean we aren’t representing our riding and our constituents. This is a play by the government to silence the opposition,” he said.

“They seem to want to not answer any questions about the softwood lumber deal, health care wait times, and the working poor, the announcements we had about the gap between the rich and the poor and businesses.”

NDP leader Carole James, who was prepared to battle cancer and the Liberals at the same time, also said she’s disappointed with the decision.

“It will show once again that the government is running away from the public,” James said.

“This is a government that doesn’t like to be accountable to the public.”

Debates and the daily Question Period provide a chance for the opposition to raise important issues, she said.

The Liberals introduced fixed spring and fall sitting dates after the 2001 election. De Jong said the fall session was always subject to cancellation.

“The fall session has always been to look after any spillover form the spring,” he said.

James said she’d be happy to provide the government with a long list of issues that should be dealt with.

“If the premier doesn’t have any business to do, then we’ll provide them with the business,” she said.

De Jong said the opposition can continue to raise issues outside the legislature.

“There’s nothing unusual about the number of days the house is sitting this year,” de Jong said.

The legislature sat for 42 days in the spring.

If there is only one day of debate in the fall, it will be the third fewest number of sitting days in a year since the NDP were elected in 1991. The other short sessions came in election years.

There has been an average 63 sitting days a year since in 1996.

James returned to work Wednesday after undergoing surgery for endometrial uterine cancer in July. She was greeted by a standing ovation from the NDP caucus.

James will undergo radiation therapy beginning next week, but said she will be on the job full time.

With files from Paul Willcocks