Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

September 10th, 2008

Campbell tries to escape scrutiny by canceling fall session of the Legislature

The Campbell Liberals have announced today that they will break their promise to hold a fall sitting of the Legislature which was scheduled to begin on October 6th according to the fixed legislative calendar.  Premier Campbell is now changing the rules that his government set.

“The Legislature is where tough questions get asked,” said Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald.  “It is where the politicians are held accountable for their actions, but the BC Liberals don’t want the scrutiny that a fall session will bring.

“It is important for me to have time in my constituency but it is also very necessary for me to be in the Legislature.  That is where I have access to Ministers, the opportunity to participate in Question Period and to debate legislation.”

Macdonald has a list of issues raised by constituents that he planned to address during the fall session.

“Many issues that constituents have can be solved through the work of my constituency staff, but others require political pressure.  That is what the Legislature is for.”

Macdonald’s constituents raised issues like the giveaway of forest lands, care of seniors and private river-diversion projects; issues that the Campbell government does not want to talk about.

“Premier Campbell doesn’t want to talk about what he is really doing to British Columbia.  He doesn’t want to talk about the sell off of BC rivers or about how he has neglected seniors.  And canceling the fall session is one way to avoid British Columbians’ questions.”

Macdonald says that this is just one more in a list of actions that Premier Campbell has taken to avoid scrutiny.  For instance, a number of bills from the last session of the Legislature were passed through ‘closure’ which means that they were passed without full debate.

“Last spring, in an arrogant dismissal of established democratic practice, very important pieces of legislation were just rammed through.  The bills passed without debate included the gas tax and TILMA which many British Columbians are absolutely opposed to.”

With an election looming in May of 2009, the Campbell Liberals seem to be avoiding any situation that allows for criticism.  Bill 42, known as the election gag law, which places restrictions on pre-election advertising was also pushed through without debate.

“The gag law makes it illegal for concerned organizations to discuss political issues through advertising leading up to the election period so that is a way of silencing debate.  And now the debate that should be going on in the House during a fall session is also being silenced.

“I’ve not met a single British Columbian who wants government to be less accountable and a government that refuses to allow the Legislature to sit is determined to avoid accountability.  Gordon Campbell doesn’t think he should answer to anyone, least of all those who elected him.”