The tension is in the public interest

It is an interesting time to show up on the political scene in British Columbia.

Thinking back to election night, shortly after the networks called my victory in Saanich North and the Islands, we were looking up at the big screen as the numbers were tightening.

At the time, it was 42 Liberal, 42 NDP, 3 Green.

“What do you think of that?” A reporter asked.

“Well the people of British Columbia are going to get value out for their money,” I said.

Little did I know

We have had majority governments in our province for decades. As a result, the politicians became far too comfortable. And, the worst thing for the public interest, is comfortable politicians.

But, as we became more bitterly polarized into a two party system, it was more likely we would elect a majority government. And, no matter what side of the House you sat on, it was easy to sink deep into the seat.

As the comfort level increased, the public interest became less of a worry and the political interest of the politician began to emerge as the primary concern. At the same time public confidence in their institution of government diminished.

As the confidence decreased, so did the attention. When a scandal broke, or when the watchdogs barked, we paid little attention. Just politicians behaving badly. That’s to be expected, right?

Well, when all the votes were counted and the seats finally allocated in the 2017 election, the results were very similar to the scoreboard we were looking at on election night. Everything became a lot more tense around Victoria.

The tension is in the public interest

That tension is definitely to the public’s benefit. And, it should exist in every legislative house. During the past 20 months, we have felt every bump in the road.

With the emergence of a third party, new angles become available to work.

For starters, we all have to be in the legislature everyday. For everyone else in British Columbia it is nothing much to celebrate, there is probably an expectation that you show up for work everyday. But, there was a time not too long ago, that the Premier would show up in Victoria to make a cameo appearance at Question Period on Wednesday, and then take HeliJet back to Vancouver for the afternoon.

Not any longer. When the house is sitting, the Premier is no more than two minutes from the Chamber, ready to vote.

Another benefit of the minority government is an independent Speaker. When the BC Liberals kicked Darryl Plecas out of their Party because he chose to take the Speaker’s chair, he became an independent. He began observing business-as-usual in the people’s House. And, he didn’t like what he was seeing.

Going forward

In reflecting on my time as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, there are a few takeaways to be highlighted.

The tension in Victoria, as a result of a minority government, is in the public interest. And, when politicians become comfortable we lose sight of the job we are elected to do. The focus is less on governing and creating good public policy and more on gaining and/or maintaining power.

Finally, the report released by the Speaker this week lit a fuse. Who knows long and how deep that fuse goes. Is it attached to a powder keg or munitions depot? The allegations highlight a culture of entitlement evolving in our governance structure over hundreds of years.

Reflecting back on the comment to the reporter on election night, one thing is certain, the public are getting value from their minority government.

Now, we need the patience and commitment to continue changing the culture in Victoria. After that, maybe public confidence will be restored in their government and their politicians.

(Photo credit: “The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia” by “Scazon” licensed under “CC by 2.0“)