Throughout the year, I have repeatedly expressed concerns about how our provincial government has shown contempt for democratic debate and our democratic institutions. This is evident in how they manage legislative agenda.
In the legislative assembly, this issue is often seen as “insider baseball,” meaning it is important to those who work there, but less so to the rest of the people of British Columbia. However, it is important to everyone because the government is elected to serve the public through a fair, open, and transparent process. When the government disrupts this process, either intentionally or not, by limiting debate unnecessarily or providing unclear answers to questions, mistakes can occur and go unnoticed, and ultimately laws may be enacted that have not been fully tested or improved.
It is absurd that in a modern democratic government, there is not enough time to debate and vote on bills from private members. The BC NDP government has been reluctant to relinquish full control of the legislative agenda, but has completely mismanaged it once they have it. It has become common for them to scramble legislation onto the agenda late in sessions, with debate starting as soon as legally possible, before the process is hurried and prematurely shut down using time allocation and closure.
Conversely, a well-organized government, focused on maintaining public confidence and upholding democratic principles have the majority of their legislation ready at the beginning of the calendar year. They present their entire legislative package within the first half of the Spring session. They allow the public, stakeholders, experts, and their legislative colleagues ample time to understand the proposal, contribute meaningfully at all stages of the debate, and consider amendments from the opposition that could improve the law. They streamline the budget estimates processes to be more efficient and use the time for purposeful debate on new and amended bills. Some bills would be earmarked for deeper consultation. When the assembly adjourns for the summer (June-October), the government would mobilize MLAs (from all parties) to use the “BBQ tour” to engage and consult with their constituents, so they can be better informed and come back for debate in the Fall session better prepared.
A democratic government empowers all members of the assembly through all-party committees, working groups, and oversight bodies. It facilitates good ideas and informs policy. It embraces democratic principles, and is not concerned about losing the next election because it is leading powerful democratic work. Unfortunately, this hopeful vision of good democratic governance is far from what we experience in the British Columbia legislative assembly. Our government has become insecure, insulated, and secretive.
The alternative is a scary political landscape, scarred by cynicism, a vanishing trust and confidence in government, politicians, and institutions, and disbelief in public information and communications. I am not raising this because I fear it might happen in British Columbia; I raise it because it is happening in British Columbia.
I was appointed the House Leader for the Third Party in September. You can see some of my work in the responses to the government manipulating the agenda for their own partisan benefit at the end of the Fall session. In the December cabinet shuffle Hon. Ravi Kahlon was appointed government House Leader. I am committed to working closely with him, as well as Opposition House Leader Todd Stone, and I will always advocate for the vision outlined above.
- 2022-02-24: Protecting the integrity of democracy in British Columbia
- 2022-04-04: Bill 12: BC NDP again demonstrate contempt for democracy in tabling Bill with no detail
- 2022/11/03: BC NDP cancels four sitting days and democratic process
- 2022/11/03: BC NDP adjust sitting hours (yet again) to accommodate chaotic legislative agenda
- 2022/12/03: MLA Column: Premier Eby needs to get control of chaotic government
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