CLAP TRAP — The always-Independent Vicki Huntington wants the government and Opposition to put a lid on applause during question period.
The Delta South MLA says banning clapping would improve decorum and allow more time for questions and answers.
“This spring, the legislature will spend close to 3 1/2 hours — seven entire question periods — on applause,” Huntington said in a news release. “Government and opposition members applaud as much as 5 1/2 minutes during question period and waste close to 20 minutes a week.”
Huntington said she’s unable to bring the motion forward for debate, in part, because it would deny politicians’ right to laud themselves.
“I think, however, that the desire British Columbians have for civil discourse in their legislative assembly trumps the right to pat yourself on the back every 40 seconds.”
AMOR REDUX — He’s back. B.C’s second premier and founder of The Daily British Colonist, Amor De Cosmos, returns to the legislature this summer for a series of not-to-be-missed performances. The noted electrophobe will appear regularly with Queen Victoria, architect Francis Rattenbury and Mary Ellen Smith, the first female MLA, as well as the first female cabinet minister and first female Speaker in the British Empire.
Liberal MLA Linda Larson announced that 11 post-secondary students have been hired to work in the parliamentary tour office over the next four months.
Of those, seven will act as tour guides and four will play the roles of De Cosmos and the other historical figures for the benefit of about 75,000 school children and tourists. The free guided tours will run seven days a week beginning the May long weekend.
SEEING-EYE-TO-EYE — Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister cut a towering figure at the Western Premiers’ Conference, to the point where Premier Christy Clark will be making special shoe decisions for their next meeting.
The 6-foot-8 premier, sworn in only 48 hours before the conference began, is a foot or so taller than the other leaders on hand. Clark said: “I feel like I'm going to have get higher heels next time I meet with Premier Pallister.”
If it’s at the next premiers’ conference, she’s also going to have get re-elected, first. The next one is in the Yukon, and scheduled for July, 2017.
PREMIER MOM — In advance of Mother’s Day, Clark was asked about her biggest challenge in balancing the roles of premier and mom.
“It’s just time,” she said. “I remember people used to say it’s not quantity, it’s quality, and I have learned that that is just not true. Quantity really matters for kids. They need to have you in their lives; they need to see you. Even if it’s just sitting around watching a basketball game on TV, that really matters. You know, lots of people might not say that that’s quality time; for teenagers, it really matters. So that’s the hard part . . . just not having enough time all the time.
“But I’m not complaining,” she added, “because one of the reasons I took the job is I want to set an example for my son. I wanted, for girls around the province, to say: ‘If you want to make a difference, you should try, even if it’s hard, even if it means personal sacrifices. You should try. Doing the easy thing, taking the easy way out, anybody can do that, but you’ll never make a difference if that’s what you want to do.’ ”
