The Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs is required to be populated by the government at each new session of the Parliament. However, government has failed to call the committee take advantage of the fact that all political parties are represented and it could be a good opportunity to...
I rose today in response to a Motion introduced by Government House Leader Ravi Kahlon. Be it resolved that the House recess from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and notwithstanding Standing Orders 2 and 3 thereafter sit until 9 p.m. today, and notwithstanding the sessional order adopted on October 5, 2023, Section...
I rose in response to a Motion introduced by the Dan Davies, BC United MLA for Peace River North Be it resolved that this House supports permanently eliminating the provincial fuel tax to ease the pain at the pump and removing the carbon tax on all home heating. “A rise of 3°C in global...
Last Monday, I stood up in the Legislature to provide my perspective on Motion 29, which would amend the Tsawwassen First Nation's treaty to allow them to benefit from tax exemptions. This was an important step forward for the Tsawwassen First Nation in exercising their right to self-determination, and I was thrilled...
Last year, then Interim-Leader of the BC Liberals Shirley Bond, and BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, called on the BC NDP government to empower the Health Committee to study the drug toxicity and poisoning crisis and make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly. The effort was entirely about de-politicizing the...
As I have said repeatedly the BC Legislative Assembly does not function as democratically as it could. The entire agenda is controlled by the party with a majority of Members and that power has been used to shut out private members' from having the legislation they propose, debated and voted on. Significant reforms...
Government House Leader Hon. Ravi Kahlon amended the standing orders, the rules which guide the operation of the Legislative Assembly, to switch the order of time for Private Members' motions and statements. These "debates" occur on Monday mornings. While this is a rather innocuous change the reality is that Monday...