Wednesday February 19, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated February 20, 2025]
Political editorial by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Despite reminders and attempts by the NDP side of the house and Indigenous leaders to cajole opposition MLAs to offer courteous and respectful remarks in the BC Legislative Assembly — there were multiple interruptions of ministers and some heckling on this first day of the 2025 Spring Session.
Most of the seven or more interruptions in today’s half-hour afternoon question period were projected at Premier David Eby as he was answering BC Conservative Official Opposition MLA questions. [Watch the February 19, 2025 Question Period broadcast here]
Eby paused for the Speaker to issue a reminder or request, which happened most times, but by the end of this exasperating first Question Period of the 43rd BC Parliament the Speaker did not audibly bother with a reminder in the last instance.
Something of a disappointment for British Columbians and residents who send MLAs to the Legislative Assembly get the people’s work done.
Official Opposition:
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad used his first question of the new session to challenge the premier on the toxic drug death crisis in BC and more specifically drug diversion and the BC Government’s safe supply program. Both leaders acknowledged over 16,000 deaths due to drug overdose or fentanyl poisoning.
Earlier in the day Health Minister Josie Osborne had announced an immediate change — The Prescribed Alternatives Program — to help prevent the diversion of prescribed opioids and hold ‘bad actors’ accountable for putting people and communities at risk. That includes pharmacies where some drugs are vulnerable to diversion to the unregulated market.
Health Critic Elenore Sturko went on attack about the failure of the NDP’s approach to dealing with the toxic drug problem by trying a safe supply approach that clearly didn’t work for either the users of drugs or the safety aspects of community.
Third Party:
Third Party (Green Party) House Leader Jeremy Valeriote delivered a respectful question with a for-the-people intention, asking how the BC government plans to support people whose jobs might be lost during a tariff war.
All we can do is sigh:
For British Columbians this raucous approach to opposition is probably a disappointment if not a turnoff.
We teach our children to be polite and respectful. But in the BC Legislature that goes right out the window.
The old-fashioned punch-and-insult British parliamentary style from decades gone by is at least a frustration and for some a complete disappointment.
Most people didn’t expect much different but it’s disappointing nonetheless.
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