RISE AND WHINE — MLAs spent two hours last week debating the momentous change in the agenda the Liberals are trying out for the session — switching question period from the afternoon to the morning two days a week.
NDP MLA Mike Farnworth forecast this result for cabinet ministers: “Instead of thinking, plotting, planning and dreading from eight in the morning ’til question period, they’ll be thinking, plotting, planning, dreading and having nightmares from two in the morning ’til ten in the morning.
“They will come here tired and haggard because they haven’t had a good night's sleep.”
The NDP also suggested another change — one question period a week devoted entirely to the premier, as there is in Westminster.
It was defeated. But Government House Leader Mike de Jong — picturing Opposition Leader Adrian Dix and Christy Clark facing off as they did in the election campaign — noted: “If there’s one thing that I ...would enjoy, it’s to revisit a stage in which this premier and that leader of the opposition can present themselves one-on-one for the people of British Columbia.”
De JONGBLOOD — Given that politicians will be facing a morning question period on the heels of an afternoon session, reporters asked de Jong whether MLAs, like hockey players, will run out of gas.
To which the house leader said: “I know you’ll be up in the Foster Hewitt gondola with your telestrator assessing which players are on their game at 10 o’clock versus 1:30. We’ll see. I think there are days when the government itself will wish that question period was still three or four hours away.”
QUOTH THE RAVEN — Legislature Speaker Linda Reid sported a new look when the house resumed sitting this week.
The official black robe that she wears while presiding over house business now features a shawl of native design.
It was made by noted Haida artist Dorothy Grant.
Reid said it is representative of native northwest coast art, and incorporates elements of many different bands.
The lapels feature ravens. “It’s about the communicator, the speaker,” said Reid.
“I thought it was time to uplift a little bit. It’s a nice connection to the First Nations of B.C. I wanted very much to be part of that discussion for all the years I’ve been elected.”
WELCOME BACK — There was touching moment this week when Shane Simpson made his return to the legislature after winning a battle with colon cancer.
The NDP MLA for Vancouver-Hastings thanked his surgeons, the Cancer Agency and Vancouver General Hospital as well as both sides of the house for their prayers and comments.
“It made a huge, huge difference to me and to my recovery,” he said. “I feel very fortunate when my oncologist says: ‘Yes, you can say you're cancer-free.’ ”
Simpson also sent best wishes to Agriculture Minister Pat Pimm, who is fighting the same illness. “I'm sure that we would all say that there are 84 people sitting in this place who are all cheering for him to have a full recovery and to be back here healthy and hearty, as soon as possible.”
TWO-HORSE RACE — A previously undiscovered entity with the B.C. Liberal Party was revealed this week at Premier Christy Clark’s dinner event.
It’s the Liberal “Vancouver Island caucus,” boasting two members — Michelle Stilwell of Parksville-Qualicum, and Social Development Minister Don McRae, of Comox Valley.
McRae told the dinner guests that Stilwell chairs the rather smallish outfit. “She became chair when she actually left the room for a few minutes to get some Cheezies.”
NO-HORSE RACE — And then there were still none. David Eby becomes the latest politician to withdraw from the NDP leadership race before even entering it.
He joins a growing list of people who have declined to run, including George Heyman, Judy Darcy, Nathan Cullen, Kennedy Stewart, John Horgan, Peter Julian, Fin Donnelly and Gregor Robertson.
At this rate, Adrian Dix might retain the job by default, although Mike Farnworth and Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming are still mulling their options.
PREMIER MOM — Christy Clark mentioned to the audience that her 12-year-old son, Hamish, didn’t want her to go to one of his games because it’s embarrassing to have a mom who’s a premier.
She told him: “Get used to it. You’re going to be embarrassed until you’re in university.”
— with files from Les Leyne and Lindsay Kines
