Today in the legislature I introduced Bill M202: Election Amendment Act, 2019 designed to limit the number of terms a person could be elected as an MLA. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that those seeking elected office recognize that serving the people of British Columbia should be interpreted as a sense of civic duty, not a career path.

Below I provide the full text and video of my introduction of the Bill.

You’ll see from these that the BC Liberals were heckling me throughout my introduction and the Speaker had to intervene. When First Reading was called, a fair number of BC Liberals shouted “Nay” to proceeding with the bill and so I called for a standing vote. The BC Liberal house leader Mary Polak walked up and down her caucus benches trying to figure out who voted Nay. With the exception of Ralph Sultan, the BC Liberals collectively denied saying “Nay”. They then voted in favour of First Feading in the standing vote (reproduced below).

Ralph Sultan deserves a lot of credit for standing up and following through with his Nay vote. The other BC Liberal MLAs (whose names I will not mention) denied they voted Nay to their house leader and showed that they were nothing more than principle-less sheep unwilling to vote their conviction.

Video of Introduction

Text of Introduction

A. Weaver: I move that a bill intituled the Election Amendment Act, 2019, of which notice has been given in my name, be introduced and read a first time now. I’m pleased to introduce the bill intituled Election Amendment Act, 2019. This bill is designed to set term limits on elected officials in the B.C. Legislature. If enacted, this bill would limit MLAs to 12 years or three terms. In addition, an individual could not be nominated for re-election if they had already served eight years as a Premier.

The introduction of term limits would ensure that those seeking elected office recognize that serving the people of British Columbia should be interpreted as a sense of civic duty, not a career path. The general public have become cynical about politics and career politicians….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, if we may hear the member.

A. Weaver: I thank you, hon. Speaker. It’s remarkably disrespectful during an introduction of a bill to hear the chatter coming from the opposite.

The general public….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

A. Weaver: If ever you needed demonstration that this bill needs to be enacted, it is here today shown before us by the behaviour of the members opposite.

The general public have become cynical about politics and career politicians. Voter turnout is on the decline. By introducing term limits, certain elected officials will be freed up to think about the long-term consequence of their decisions, rather than just their re-election goals. It will ensure a continued rejuvenation of this Legislature.

I feel, frankly, that we’re still fighting the Cold War in this chamber. We’ve got politicians who’ve been here on both sides of the House since the 1990s. When the same players continue their never-ending dance of dysfunction, British Columbians all lose.

Text of Introduction

Mr. Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill put forth by the Leader of the Third Party.

Motion approved on the following division