Answer:
Legislative committees bring MLAs, experts, people with lived experience, and the public together to explore solutions to major issues. It gives all political parties the same baseline of expert testimony and research outside of highly politicized forums such as Question Period. In this depoliticized space, MLAs can enter into genuine dialogue, producing recommendations for the government that are supported by all three parties.
After a year of advocacy, the BC NDP finally agreed to our request to activate a committee to study the poisoned drug crisis. It is now meeting regularly. We hope that it unites the legislature around an urgent approach to addressing the poisoned drug crisis, and that the government heeds its advice.
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