The British Columbia legislature is unlikely to sit this fall, government house leader Mike de Jong said today.
"Absent an unforeseen event . . . it is unlikely the house will sit this fall," de Jong told reporters at a press conference where as finance minister he was delivering the province's first quarterly budget report.
A seven-week fall sitting of the province's MLAs had been scheduled, but last week Premier Christy Clark and de Jong each said they had to discuss whether to cancel the session.
"We've got a new cabinet, new ministers in virtually every portfolio," said de Jong. "The government will be preoccupied over the next number of months in terms of the preparation of the budget blueprint and continuing what began in the summer, reaching out to British Columbians."
"I think that's a mistake for the government not to come back to the legislature," said NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston.
The government had pledged to use the spring session for budget debates and hold fall sessions to pass legislation, he said. Instead they jammed through legislation last spring and have decided to avoid the accountability that comes with sitting in the house and taking questions in question period, he said.
Ralston said he was disappointed, but added, "Frankly I'm not surprised."
A provincial election is scheduled for May 14, 2013. An Angus Reid poll released yesterday showed the NDP continuing to lead with 46 percent support to 25 percent for the BC Liberals and 19 percent for the BC Conservatives, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Find him on Twitter or reach him here.
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Ian's view
39 weeks ago
No fall Session for BC MLA's
Nothing to do? How about finishing repealing the HST and returning to a Povincial Sales Tax.
If not, call the election and lets get on with it.
irth1st
39 weeks ago
Outraged!
It is with total astonishment that the BC Liberal government believes it still holds a mandate to govern.
People of BC we must force this government into a fall election. This latest bungling of the provinces finances is un-freakin' believable and stinks of election tactics.
Falcon must have known this all along and got out by the skin of his teeth.
To let the BC Liberals continue obliterating the finances of our province is completely unacceptable and irresponsible.
MLA's aren't even going to work for their wages this fall. They will spend the next few months strategizing how to implement their lies in the run up to 2013 on the public dime.
Time for the RCMP to step in and investigate where the money has gone..they have bankrupted the province.
The sale of the Liquor distribution branch needs to be put on hold as well, considering it brings in just under a billion dollars in revenue to prov. coffers.
Outraged!!!!!
Skywalker
39 weeks ago
When you are heading out the door...
...and no doubt the deficit is much greater than they say, you rag the puck. Just delay and delay. Ian is right. They could address some big issues but gee, you don't want to give the opposition a forum. Their pay should be cut in half as well.
Okanagan Orchardist
39 weeks ago
So much for the changes needed for the
Municipal Elections Act.
It probably wasn't even on their fall agenda -- if they even had one. But, this is just another reason to get rid of them all.
Has anyone heard whether the NDP favour any of the suggestions made by the Elections Trust group?
zalm
39 weeks ago
Wot???
""Absent an unforeseen event . . . it is unlikely the house will sit this fall," de Jong told reporters at a press conference where as finance minister he was delivering the province's first quarterly budget report."
Is he kidding? Absent "...an unforeseen event" like a $$$ half-billion dollar leak below the waterline of the S.S. Budget? Is the man a common criminal without the wits God gave a houseplant, or just a competitor in the race for Moron of the Year?
I can think of a hundred reasons to sit... but not one of them is good for Premier Christy's makeup. Time to send another nasty-gram to Sara MacIntyre and spill her morning coffee....
gsarahs
39 weeks ago
So there is nothing to do in the legislature?
I guess the government MLAs want to make sure that their individual MLA obituaries are properly written with the correct spelling and punctuation! Anyone who still believes anything that this government comes out with has rocks for brains!
Perry
39 weeks ago
Bad people
"In public life bad people, like bad money, drive out the good. ... More balanced citizens may have strong convictions about the common weal and public service. But they are less likely to be obsessed with the exercising of power. ... But the ultimate checks and balances are not constitutional. They are the approval and disapproval of the citizen. So long as we reward raw ambition and the skilful manipulation of power we will continue to draw those whose interest is self-interest. see: Banality"
John Ralston Saul, The Doubters Companion, p.37
nutsnbolts
39 weeks ago
BC Lieberals...
CRIMINALS, plain and simple.
GO DIX AND THE NDP, rid us all of this regime.
judisomm
39 weeks ago
no fall session
I am still very angry at this cynical move by the Liberals. They are touring the province showing off the new (aka recycled) cabinet in a "getting to know you" tour. I would call this an early campaigning junket on our nickle! As Ian noted, where are the details on the new tax structure? Where are the regs that Falcon promised would be forthcoming in the fall? They weren't in the legislation. Now he is no longer the minister, what does this mean? I am very concerned that there will be no time to have these debated in The ledge where the process and details are transparent. The tax is to kick in on April 1 and there is no sitting until Feb. it will be too late. Is this how voters who "were too stupid to understand the benefits of the HST" are to be punished? Why is there no howling from those who voted agaist the tax? I've emailed de Jong and look forward to more than a standard innocuous reply. Hope springs eternal, I know. I look forward to seeing the Two Bill's who spearheaded the petition that started all of this to appear publically. Adrian needs to be far more voacal as a premier-in-waiting rather than having others be the spear carrier. We need someone to vote for-not merely against. And so endeth my rant...