Today in the legislature Mike de Jong rose and sought leave, pursuant to Standing Order 35, for the  legislature to “adjourn its usual business, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance.” The essence of his request is summarized in the motion below that he proposed that we debate.

“That this House review its own conduct with respect to the events and facts that led to the presentation of a motion on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, placing the Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms on administrative leave, with a view to ensuring that all of the steps that were taken were consistent with the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice and, if that is found not to be the case, to consider remedial steps.“

Both Mike Farnworth, the government house leader, and I recommended to the Deputy Speaker that he not grant the request. We both argued that it would not be in the public interest for us to be debating this in the Legislature in light of the fact that there is an ongoing criminal investigation.

Shortly after Question Period in the afternoon, the Deputy Speaker rose to offer his ruling. He agreed that it was not appropriate to undertake the debate under Standing Order 35 because of the existence of an active criminal investigation focusing on two permanent officers of the house.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my brief remarks.

Video of statement

Text of Statement

A. Weaver: I join my colleague in government in speaking against the public interest of debating such a matter in this House.

Frankly, it reminds me of a parody site in The Hard Times, where we would have a debate that goes along the lines of “Man with Half the Facts in Heated Debate with Man with Zero Facts.” The danger of having such a debate in the absence of information while a police investigation, a criminal investigation, is ongoing with not one but two special prosecutors, is very worrying. I would argue that it is in the public interest that the police investigation be allowed to proceed unheated from political interference.

With that in mind, I think it would be inappropriate for us to be debating this in the Legislature, in light of the fact that there is a criminal investigation ongoing as we speak. With that, I do recommend that this not be accepted.

Today I had the distinct honour of laying a wreath at the Oak Bay Cenotaph in commemoration of remembrance day. This year our remembrance is particularly poignant as we mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 and the end of World War One.

Below I reproduce a public statement my office issued on Remembrance Day.

Statement

Andrew Weaver statement on Remembrance Day
For immediate release
November 9th, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Greens, issued the following statement in recognition of Remembrance Day this Sunday:

“On Remembrance Day we take time to honour the sacrifice of those who have served our country. This year our remembrance is particularly poignant as we mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 and the end of World War One.

“We live in an era of deep division and strife, as demonstrated by the racist and anti-Semitic hate crimes we witnessed two weeks ago. We must remain vigilant in denouncing all forms of discrimination and recommit to fostering diversity and peace. These are the values that our veterans, armed forces, merchant marines, and their families, have fought for and continue to fight for. To allow hate to grow in our society is to forsake their sacrifice.

“At 11am on Sunday morning, I encourage you to hold two minutes of silence. Take this time to reflect upon the deep historical and current significance of the day, and to recommit to the values that Canadians hold dear.

“Lest we forget.”

-30-

Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

Today in the legislature the premier rose to deliver a Ministerial Statement on the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. Both the leader of the official opposition and I delivered responses to the premier’s statement on this tragic event.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my remarks.

Video of Statement

Text of Statement

Thank you to the Premier and to the Leader of the Official Opposition for your thoughtful words moments ago.

News of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre — the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history — prompted condemnation from around the world. Today we add our voices to that chorus. I stand with my colleagues from all sides of the House in solemn solidarity against hatred, intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and violence.

The victims of this horrific attack were cherished community members, respected elders, dear friends and beloved family members. Reading about their lives this morning, I was humbled by their devotion to serving others, their kindness, generosity, compassion and love for those around them.

To echo our Premier, we know that the rise of intolerance isn’t just in the United States. It’s here in Canada too. We know that the words of elected representatives can fan the flames of hatred.

In memory of those lost, we renew our devotion serving others and commit to embodying the compassionate values of:

• Bernice and Sylvan Simon;
• David and Cecil Rosenthal;
• Melvin Wax;
• Jerry Rabinowitz;
• Joyce Fienberg;
• Daniel Stein; Rose Mallinger;
• Richard Gottfried; and
• Irving Younger.

I’ll also add 69-year-old Maurice Stallard and 67-year-old Vickie Lee Jones to the list of people murdered in hate crimes this week. A shooter attempted to enter the Jeffersontown, Kentucky First Baptist Church, which has a predominantly African-American membership, before turning to a nearby grocery store and racially targeting victims. Maurice was shopping with his grandson, helping him get a poster for a school project. He died shielding the 12-year-old during the attack. Vickie was shot walking to her car.

We must be vigilant in our communities and fight against the hatred that can fester and rot into violence. We stand with the government of British Columbia, the official opposition and all British Columbians, united in love and compassion. Our thoughts today are with the loved ones of those targeted.

Yesterday in the BC Legislature we debated Bill 40: Electoral Reform Referendum Amendment Act. This bill requires a second referendum to occur, should the proportional representation referendum pass, after two general elections conducted under proportional representation. It gives the electorate a chance to determine whether or not they want to stay with the new system of proportional representation.

Below I reproduce the text and video of my second reading speech in support of the bill. I was very surprised to listen to the BC Liberals strongly oppose it. Whether you are in support of, or opposed to, proportional representation, it seems to me that it is important to give British Columbians a say in their democracy.

Text of Speech

A. Weaver: Well, that certainly was half an hour of righteous indignation on display for us today. I had not planned to start my speech with this quote, but I think I will, because it’s fitting after the member from the Langley area just went on that diatribe.

This is a quote from a video by Justin Greenwood, named the interim deputy leader of the B.C. Conservative Party. This is with reference to Bill 40, which is before us, the Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Amendment Act, and which is, in essence, adding a new, second referendum to elections after now, within 13 months, to validate, if proportional representation passes, that British Columbians want to stay with the system.

This is what Justin Greenwood said, and I think it’s apt and fitting for me to read this into the record. On a video available on YouTube, he said this on behalf of the B.C. Conservative Party:

“As a party, we have chosen not to take a stance on the referendum at this time, other than to ensure our membership and fellow British Columbians have the information needed to make their choice. I felt it necessary to make this video because of the vote ‘no’ side, which is mostly supported by” — he used the name; it’s the Leader of the Official Opposition — “the B.C. Liberals by using fearmongering tactics laced with misleading statements in order to tell you how to vote. This is solely because if prop rep passes, their party will implode. It’s purely for self-preservation purposes only.

“Those attributes and tactics are not the ones I would support in a party leader, let alone someone who is assuming to be the next Premier of British Columbia. Indeed, the Leader of the Official Opposition should be helping spread the information needed for British Columbians to make an educated vote on an electoral system that suits them best, a choice you can make by using your freedom and agency.

“The Liberals have stated that the ballot is very confusing and lacks direction. Luckily,” he says, “I’ve gathered an elite team of problem-solvers which consists of a crossword puzzle superstar, a word search champion and a sudoku master to help crack the code of the confusing ballot.“

Therein, he went on to show quite clearly how easy it is for British Columbians to read the ballot.

I, frankly, am shocked at the language I’m hearing from members opposite. I’m shocked that they have so little respect for the intelligence of British Columbians that they feel they need to try to mislead, to fearmonger and to stand up and ensure that they vote the way the B.C. Liberals want them to vote, without actually trusting that British Columbians might actually be interested in learning.

What’s also remarkable about what I’m hearing is…. If I take you back to the throne speech of June 22, 2017, this is what the B.C. Liberal throne speech said. It said the following:

“The results that British Columbians delivered in the May election require cooperation. Your government is committed to working with all parties in the Legislature.

“Following referenda in 2005 and 2009, there remains a desire by many members in this place to revisit electoral reform.

“With the confidence of this House, your government will enable a third referendum on electoral reform. It will require extensive public consultation to develop a clear question and will ensure rural representation in the Legislature is protected.

“It is vital that the referendum reflect the views of British Columbians, not just its political parties.“

This is precisely the process that government has gone through over the last many months in an unprecedented consultative process leading to, I believe, 91,000-some-odd submissions — incredible consultation. What’s remarkable, too, is that we hear the rhetoric emanating from members opposite. Let me take you back a few months to what these same members, two of whom have already spoken, said in response to the throne speech.

Here, for example, the member for Richmond-Steveston, who hasn’t spoken yet, said in response:

“Our electoral system has been heavily scrutinized in recent years. We held referendums” — it’s grammatically incorrect; it should be “referenda” — “on electoral reform in 2005 and 2009 — both times of particular importance to me because I was either a candidate or seeking re-election as a member of this assembly. The discussion around electoral system is a key facet of our democracy, and renewing a healthy debate on our system is important. That’s why we have committed to a third referendum on electoral reform.“

That’s the member for Richmond-Steveston arguing passionately for another referendum on electoral reform.

Here’s what the member for Chilliwack-Kent said:

“We said that the people of British Columbia will decide that question, and we will provide a path to that decision point. I have no problem with that.“

The member for Abbotsford-Mission said the following:

“Our electoral system has been heavily scrutinized by our time in government. The discussion about electoral reform will allow us to open up that dialogue, and it’s been a source of discussion around the province. Our government is addressing that. It’s something we make a top priority.

“We are also looking,” he went on to say, “at electoral reform. Electoral reform, I know, is something that is of particular interest to our friends….

“We’re going to develop another referendum and develop a clear question, which reflects the needs of British Columbia, but protecting key populations and ensuring that rural areas are treated fairly here in the assembly….“

Precisely what government has done.

How about the member for Penticton? He says the following:

“We know that if there is a reform that takes place in the future on how people are able to govern out of this wonderful building…. There is a promise that has been put forward for electoral reform no later than November 30, 2018. I hope we work together” — I love those words — “through that extensive consultation that should take place, to develop a clear question that British Columbians can understand….“

Sidebar. Do you want…? And this is part of the parody in the interim B.C. Conservative deputy leader’s video. He shows the ballot. “The question is, basically: do you want proportional representation, or do you want to stay with first-past-the-post? Yes or no?” Pretty clear, if you ask me.

This question, in this other referendum, Bill 40 — we haven’t seen the exact wording — will essentially be: do you want to stay with the system we just went through, assuming that prop rep passes? These are pretty clear questions.

Coming back to what the member for Penticton said, he said:

“A clear question that British Columbians could understand and can see that it is 100 percent in its meaning and depth and also that not only protects urban areas but also protects the rural areas of British Columbia. I think that’s really important, because sometimes rural B.C. is forgotten.“

I agree with the member for Penticton. In fact, that is being reflected in the options that have been put forward.

The member for Kamloops–South Thompson, who was over the top with his enthusiasm — opposite — for this referendum today, rhetoric that’s screaming out of the windows and off the ramparts, said the following in the throne speech:

“We are committed to enabling a third referendum with a clear question and absolute protection for rural representation.“

Seemed okay at the time.

The critic, the member for Vancouver-Langara, who spoke first in this debate, said:

“For many, it’s important that we conduct a third referendum on electoral reform to give British Columbians an opportunity to consider, once again, what is the best electoral system for the province and its people. Again, we listened, and we’ve acted.”

On and on and on it went in the response to the B.C. Liberal throne speech — quite frankly remarkable. You would never have known it, given the vitriol that was thrown government’s way today.

Again, coming back to the interim deputy leader of the B.C. Conservative Party, Justin Greenwood, he says it all. He says…. Here again it summarizes the reason why he felt he needed to speak. He needed to speak out because he felt that: “The B.C. Liberals are using fearmongering tactics laced with misleading statements in order to tell you how to vote, and this is solely because if prop rep passes, their party will implode. It’s purely for self-preservation purposes only. Those are not the attributes and the tactics that one would want in a leader.”

I’ve listened to the arguments. I’ve attended a debate with the member for Richmond-Queensborough, a debate on prop representation. I’ve listened to the no side. What saddens me is that these debates — not the case of the member for Richmond-Queensborough; he did a very fine presentation — are not constrained by facts.

Even today, we heard statements of truth that are nothing more than conjecture, fearmongering about boundaries. I don’t know what the boundary is going to be for my riding if there’s a first-past-the-post election in 2021, because Elections B.C. periodically reviews the boundaries. I found out that I had parts of Victoria in this election not too long before this past election. It happens all the time that we look at electoral boundaries.

They talk about rural B.C. and “can’t draw maps.” Well, in fact, if they actually read the document, you would see that it’s quite clearly outlined about how ridings would likely double in size. You basically bring two neighbouring ridings together in most of the cases, with the exception of the rural-urban one, where you would have slightly different changes. It’s very clearly described what would happen there.

It’s also very clearly outlined as to how a process would go forward to determine open versus closed lists. My own preference is open list. Open list is my preference. They, the members opposite, seem to suggest that somehow it’s pre-decided that it must be closed list, that somehow there’s party elite that are going to be put in to become Premier without ever being elected.

In the world, there are — I’m not counting Myanmar and Venezuela — only a couple of examples of western democracies that still retain first-past-the-post: the United States and Canada. Even in Great Britain, Scotland is on a form of proportional representation, whereas England is not. New Zealand. Australia, in the Senate, and it has a preferential balloting system in the House. Virtually every single democracy in the world has a got a form of proportional representation.

Heck, the latest result in Bavaria showed a doubling of support of the Green Party there, a surge of support in the Green Party in Bavaria, a state within Germany that has proportional representation. Prince Edward Island went through the referendum. It passed. They decided not to do it.

B.C. has the potential here of being a leader in Canada if the people of British Columbia want it to change. It’s very simple. Do you want to change or not? If it changes, two elections from now, there’ll be another referendum to say: “Do you like what you saw? Shall we keep it?”

We go back to the New Zealand example. The ballot here in British Columbia is very similar to the ballot that was done in New Zealand when they went for proportional representation.

I can tell you, from somebody working in the Legislature in a minority government, that it is hard working with another party. It is not easy at all when you come together with very different backgrounds and ideas. But you get better policy, better public policy, when you’re forced to collaborate, forced to listen. Sometimes you have to give more than you want, and sometimes you get to take more than you thought you would get. But it’s about collaboration and cooperation. It can get testy at times. People can be firm in their positions.

But good public policy arises when politicians are forced to work together, and we’ve been demonstrating that here in this Legislature for the last 18 months or so, much to the chagrin of members opposite, who can’t fathom the fact that different political parties can actually work together.

Instead, they have to create some fearmongering approach that somehow the world as we know it is going to end and evoking the raiding of Normandy, for heaven’s sake. I mean, this is just so offensive — evoking the troops in Normandy as somehow being affronted. One member opposite talked about how the people who made the greatest sacrifice wouldn’t be able to vote. Of course they can’t vote. They’re not here today. They made the sacrifice. The rhetoric that was coming was just outrageous.

This is really about a referendum, and do we trust the people of British Columbia, as we have twice before in two votes on the single transferable vote? Do we trust them to have enough information? Do we trust them to be able to determine what’s in their best interests? The B.C. Liberals don’t. They don’t trust British Columbians to actually think for themselves. It’s not the B.C. Liberal way. The B.C. Liberal way is: “We’ll tell you because we know best. Not only that. It’s a small section of us — the elite in the party.” Even the backbenchers: “We’ll tell you the way it is, and it shall be that way.” This is what we’re seeing modelled here in the objections of the members opposite to this referendum.

Remarkable. Even if they didn’t like proportional representation, why would they not support this? This is giving British Columbians a way out if they don’t like it. Even if you don’t…. Again, I understand that there are 17 years of nefarious kinds of activities and backroom deals and conniving. For them, everything that’s done has to have a Machiavellian outcome. I recognize they think that this is some kind of Machiavellian approach to actually influence things. How about: it’s actually listening to what people have said? People have actually said they wanted a chance to have an election.

Have they ever thought that maybe government is listening to people? I know that the B.C. Liberals had a difficult time listening to people, but here we have a government listening to people, bringing in legislation that says: “You know what? If you do vote for this system and you don’t like it, we will give you a way out two years from now.”

I’ve heard so many examples of misinformation being put forward on this referendum. For example, I’ve heard people say that somehow party elites will choose who’s coming in. Well, let me tell you right now, if you were in a number of ridings in British Columbia where you could essentially run anybody from a particular party and you know they will get elected, the person who actually gets appointed is from the party. It is the party right now that already determines which members represent that party in certain ridings. In some ridings, getting the actual nomination from the party is pretty much a shoo-in to being elected. So right now….

Frankly, we just have to go back to the referendum when the Premier at the time lost her seat in Vancouver–Point Grey and was parachuted into Kelowna West, where she was able to get a seat. This is already happening in terms of the claims that the members opposite are making.

The other things that they have said are things like: “Well, you’ll lose local representation.” The irony — to hear that coming from the members opposite about losing local representation. How do the people in the Okanagan feel right now, knowing that there is not a single MLA sitting on the government side? Not very good about that, I can tell you. How do you think the people of the Okanagan, who didn’t agree with government policy, felt — not ever having somebody sitting on the opposition side for the previous 17 years? Not very happy.

While some of these Liberal MLAs might think that they represent all people, I can tell you, as an MLA serving the riding of Oak Bay–Gordon Head, that I was inundated from emails, from constituents in Liberal ridings, because their MLAs would not take on the issues because they contravened the political party of the day’s policy.

This isn’t about access to health care systems. You know, maybe you have a person who needs help accessing. All constituency offices work in that regard. This is about…. Perhaps there’s an overpass in a region where there’s a concern for a natural ecosystem, and the MLA for the area is not willing to actually entertain meetings with concerned citizens. They come to us.

If, in these regions, you had representation from both opposition and government, you’d actually get better local representation. The Okanagan. Pick nine MLAs who are serving in the Okanagan right now. You probably would have had…. Of those nine, five of them would have been B.C. Liberal. Three of them would have been B.C. NDP, and one of them would have been B.C. Green. The Okanagan would be served by members in opposition, members in the Green and also members in the government. Healthy for democracy.

Vancouver Island right now has but one representative in Parksville-Qualicum. There is nobody in opposition from the Victoria region, and prior to that, there was nobody in government in the capital regional district. That’s wrong. Liberals in the capital regional district need representation. They need representation in this Legislature, but they don’t have it.

Again, it comes back to what was so succinctly pointed out by Mr. Greenwood, the B.C. Conservative Party interim deputy leader, who essentially says: “The fear is really an internal fear that the B.C. Liberals know that their loosey-goosey coalition of conservatives and liberals is going to fall apart.”

To be honest, there’s hardly any Liberals left, actually, over on that side, but that’s okay because they’ve been…. I know there’s one over there. I know there’s one.

Interjection.

A. Weaver: I do have a lot of time for that one federal Liberal over there. But there’s not many left in that party.

This would be healthy for democracy. It would be healthy for there to be a party that actually represented the views, the prevailing views, of people in the Fraser Valley, front and centre when issues come up that they feel are not being dealt with. It would be healthy for people to feel like their views in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and elsewhere were actually represented in a manner that puts…. Not having to be diffused by competing interests, by certain ridings here and certain ridings there, but are actually able to speak out passionately for these issues in both opposition and in government.

If you’re an opposition MLA, you can speak out directly. If you’re in government, you can’t speak out directly. It’s much more difficult.

Interjections.

A. Weaver: I like the chippery over there.

I understand that the Liberals….

Interjection.

A. Weaver: It’s 8:30, true. Whose idea was this to go till nine o’clock?

Coming back to the point, much of the information that has been put forward, I fear, is actually doing the no side an actual great disservice. I have talked to many people, and people feel very suspicious as to information that they can quickly check today themselves on the Internet to be factually incorrect.

When factually incorrect information is put forward, it does a disservice — talks about these splinter parties somehow rising out of nowhere when you need to have 5 percent of the vote in order to actually get representation. Again, a misrepresentation that is being put there.

People have talked about the fact that there would be party lists — that all these people will just be appointed from backroom deals. Misrepresentation there.

People talk about loss of local representation. Again, misrepresentation there, because you have the constituents. People somehow think that this is unique in the world when, again, what’s different is actually the fact that in British Columbia we are very much unlike the rest of the world where forms of proportional representation exist.

With that, I really, truly cannot understand why members opposite…. I feel they have lost their moral compass. Why they would not vote in support of a bill that actually gives British Columbians a choice to go back to the system if they don’t like proportional representation and it passed is really mind-boggling to me. I wish I could understand it. I look forward to some more of the commentary coming our way in the debates of this bill.

Video of Speech

The 90^th British Columbia Youth Parliament will hold its parliamentary session in Victoria at the Provincial Legislative Chambers from December 27 to 31, 2018. The Youth Parliament is a province-wide non-partisan organization for young people ages 16 to 21. It teaches citizenship skills through participation in the December parliamentary session and in community service activities throughout the year. Youth Parliament is a one year commitment.

The BC Youth Parliament is non-partisan and applicants need only be interested in learning more about the parliamentary process and in serving their community.

The application is available here, along with an informational brochure and poster.

All applications must be received by October 23, 2018. Selected applicants will be notified in early November.