VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, the Speaker of the House ruled against a question of privilege indicating the Minister of Citizens’ Services misled Parliament during debate of Bill 22: Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act. Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands has issued the following statement:
“As a Member of the opposition it is not my job to simply oppose the government but rather use the privileges earned by my predecessors over hundreds of years to hold the government accountable. Despite the Speaker finding that the Minister did not intentionally mislead the House, I am satisfied that this process underscores the importance of the role of the opposition to ensure that our government remains accountable to British Columbians.
“The Speaker provided clear direction that members of the executive must answer questions posed to them in the Legislature, reaffirming our role in ‘upholding and championing our democratic system of governance. This starts with always doing our utmost to respect the fundamental work and processes that we undertake in the legislative process’ no matter our role as a member of the government or opposition.
“The B.C. Green Caucus will continue to use the tools afforded us as members of the opposition to hold government accountable.”
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Media contact
JoJo Beattie
Press Secretary
B.C. Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | [email protected]