COMMENT: It's time for MLAs to take their seats in Victoria
By Dermod Travis
IntegrityBC launched an online petition on Sunday calling on the B.C. government to reconsider its decision not to recall the legislature next month.
IntegrityBC noted that Ontario’s MPPs are already back in session. In October, they’ll be joined by MLAs in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In November, MLAs in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island will reconvene. While a date hasn’t yet been set, Nova Scotia and Manitoba’s legislatures will also reconvene before year-end
“It may very well be that B.C.’s MLAs are the only elected officials in Canada who will not reconvene in 2012,” said IntegrityBC executive director Dermod Travis.
According to IntegrityBC, there’s no excuse for not recalling the B.C. legislature when important issues are facing the province, including the B.C. government’s revenue-sharing proposals regarding the Northern Gateway Pipeline, the government’s announcement that it must cut $241 million from provincial spending in this fiscal year, and collective bargaining negotiations with the BCGEU.
IntegrityBC recognizes that B.C.’s MLAs work incredibly hard throughout the year serving British Columbians and the issue is not about their workload, but rather that for a few weeks every spring and fall they should be able to work from the seats they were elected to in Victoria.
With a goal of 500 signatures in a week, IntegrityBC’s online petition has already been signed by over 160 Brittish Columbians in 24 hours.
The petition can be accessed here.
NOTE 1: On Saturday, CBC’s Power & Politics host Evan Solomon posted an open letter to Premier Clark calling on the Premier to reconvene the legislature which can be viewed here:
NOTE 2: A date for the return of Quebec’s National Assembly will not be set before the swearing in of a new government this week.
IntegrityBC is a non-partisan voice championing accountability and integrity in BC politics. By empowering British Columbians, IntegrityBC hopes to changes politics in BC and allow citizens to regain trust in our government.
