Today in the legislature I rose during Members’ Statements to address the legislature on the importance of rebuilding public trust in government. As I note in the statement (reproduced below), my colleagues and I in the B.C. Green caucus stand by ready to assist in any way that we can.

Video of Statement

Text of Statement

A. Weaver: Each and every MLA in this room is proud and honoured to serve as the elected representative for their community. While each of us has a different story as to what brought us to politics, we’re all here because we believe in working for the public good.

Yet I stand here today troubled — troubled that day by day we’re learning of new allegations of wrongdoing across government. This troubles me because the narrative that is building is that B.C. is a haven for unethical behaviour and that, whether deliberate or not, our government has been complicit.

To our collective shame, we learned this year of the Vancouver model, a term used by organized crime around the world because of how easy it was to launder money here. This Legislature also has been rocked to its core by allegations brought on by improper spending occurring right under our noses.

Trust is the foundation of our democratic authority. If the public loses trust in its government, that authority is lost. British Columbians are calling for answers, and it’s up to us to ensure that answers are given and that those who are responsible are held accountable for their actions.

As we embark on this new session, let us collectively reflect upon the role that each and every one of us can play in rebuilding public trust in this institution. We have a lot of work to do, for trust is built up over the span of years, and it can be lost with the blink of an eye.

Now is the time for us to reform the way this Legislature operates, and that’s precisely what British Columbians want and deserve. My colleagues and I in the B.C. Green caucus stand by ready to assist in any way that we can.