Speaker Raj Chouhan had stern words for members of the B.C. legislature on Tuesday, following a day of heckling and an F-bomb expletive from the premier during question period the previous day.
“You all know that I love you all, and I have a great deal of respect for each and every one of you, so please don’t force me to send you to your rooms,” Chouhan quipped after the sombre reprimand.
Heated debate over the doctor shortage and questions fired at Health Minister Adrian Dix boiled over Monday when the premier defended Dix and attempted to explain the need for stable federal funding from the Canada Health Transfer.
When the official Opposition heckling reached a peak, the premier said: “Do you care? Do you really care or do you want to hear yourself? Do you want a headline or do you want action?” He then uttered the expletive.
He formally apologized in the house later in the day.
Chouhan said the house entrusts the Speaker to enforce the rules of debate and maintain order and decorum so that this house can can conduct itself its business in an orderly fashion.
The traditions and rules in place underpin the system of governance under a parliamentary democracy and must be respected to allow the house and its members to fulfil their constitutional functions, he said.
“British Columbians trust in this legislative assembly is dependent on our behaviour and our respect for one another, and for the dignity of this institution,” Chouhan said. “Please always be mindful of that.”
B.C. doctor shortage sparks heated exchange in legislature
Concern over the physician shortage — nearly one million people in the province without a family doctor, or one in five — became particularly pointed this month when four clinics in the capital region alone announced a closing or was closed.
Interim B.C. Liberal leader and health critic Shirley Bond cited the closings and a report last week that said the average wait for a walk-in “in the premier’s backyard” is two hours and 41 minutes and “at 8:20 this morning every single urgent and primary care centre in Victoria was already at capacity and not taking patients.”
“British Columbians want a relationship with a family doctor,” said Bond. “It is shocking to think that in British Columbia, one in five British Columbians — a number that has, by the way, dramatically worsened since 2017 — have no family doctor so the minister tells them go to a walk-in-clinic.”
Meanwhile, all ambulance patients bound for hospital were diverted from emergency departments in Port Hardy and Port McNeill to Campbell River hospital over the weekend because of a doctor shortage.
Premier steps in to defend health minister
During question period, a series of politicians including Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau questioned Health Minister Adrian Dix about wait times and the doctor shortage. Premier John Horgan stepped in.
Horgan defended the health minister as working 24 hours a day to improve health care and then attempted to talk about federal health transfer payments. He heads the Council of the Federation and is leading the charge among premiers asking for stable funding from the federal government. The federal government has said significant funding is coming but may have conditions on how it’s spent.
Horgan couldn’t be heard over heckling.
“Do you want to hear it man, do you want to want to hear it or do you just want to hear your voice?” Horgan yelled.
”Why don’t you go in the bathroom and talk to yourself because you don’t want to hear answers in this place, seriously,” said Horgan.
Horgan again tried to direct the discussion to the Canada Health Transfer which he said is fundamental to health care in British Columbia and has been for generations.
“Do you care? Do you really care or do you want to hear yourself?” said Horgan. “Do you want a headline or do you want action? Ah, f—k.”
Bond replied: “Shame on you.”
Speaker expressed dismay after yelling
The bell then rang, ending question period and the Speaker called it over but members on both sides continued yelling at each other. Chouhan asked members, citing the leader of the official opposition, to come to order, and then called a 10-minute recess and expressed his dismay.
“I’m so disappointed in all of you,” said Chouhan. “During question period I have repeatedly said, please listen to the question and listen to the answer. Once that’s over, don’t make it personal. Let’s behave like adults, please.”
Following question period Bond called on the premier to apologize for the profanity.
At 3:54 p.m. the premier posted on Twitter: “If my mom was still around, she’d be on her way to the Legislature with a bar of Irish Spring.”
The premier followed up with an official apology when he rose in the chamber: “Earlier today at the end of question period, my passion for health care got the better of me and I made some intemperate comments that may well have offended members of this house or others.
“I apologize for that and I withdraw those remarks unreservedly,” Horgan said.
The Cook and Quadra Medical Clinic in Saanich has announced it will close June 10. The Cook Street Village Medical Clinic in Victoria closed April 1, and Eagle Creek Medical Clinic walk-in in View Royal and the Colwood Medical Treatment Centre in Colwood closed April 15.
Medimap, which posts wait times for hundreds of walk-in clinics across Canada, reported last week that waits in Greater Victoria averaged 161 minutes in 2021, while the No. 2 region, Kelowna, was 91 minutes.
Medimap’s Walk-in Clinic Wait Time Index for 2021 shows British Columbians waited more than twice as long — 58 minutes — to see a physician at a walk-in clinic than the national average of 25 minutes.
A B.C. Health Care Matters Rally for Change, organized by patients who don’t have a family doctor, is planned for May 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the legislature.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
