Unlock the Ineffectual Legislature, Gordon

Today Real Democracy issued a communique to all members of the British Columbia Legislature calling upon each and every one to pressure Gordon Campbell to unlock the legislature.

Our group has committed to holding members from any party to account if they fail to do their duty for our democracy. Communique >

While campaigning for office Gordon Campbell once promised voters a “fixed legislative calendar.” With no fear of facing the electorate any time soon, Premier Campbell this year decided to break that promise. Despite having both an obligation and the power to open the legislature for a fall sitting, Campbell chose to slam the doors shut, having imperiously declared that there was nothing to talk about in British Columbia.

Nothing to talk about? No issues to discuss? Does Premier Campbell live in a vacuum where time no longer ticks? Perhaps his watch has stopped moving, but our province has not.

187 days, 21 hours and 3 minutes have passed since the legislature last sat in session. That’s 4,509 hours and 3 minutes, or 270,543 minutes, or 16,232,580 seconds. That’s over half a year gone by during which issues important to British Columbians have not been taken up in a single debate in this parliamentary chamber.

Today’s one-day session is crass political theatre, not real democracy.

Mr. Campbell is quoted as disdainfully equating the parliamentary process as nothing but “busy work.” It’s time that legislators from both sides of the house remind Campbell of his real job responsibilities, and demand of the Premier that he fulfill his promises to run an open and transparent government with a fixed legislative calendar. If you do not, we will.

There are numerous issues which need open debate, and every government requires the bright light of scrutiny to keep them on the right track. Campbell shut the legislature down for purely partisan political reasons. It certainly was not closed in the best interests of British Columbians.

David Emerson found out what a committed group of citizens could do to his political future. Stay tuned, we are far from done and B.C. politics is, as hunters might say, a target rich environment.