CKNW Editorial
for March 17, 2000

To hear Dale Lovick, of all people, call for order and decorum in the Legislation is enough to make a man throw up ... here's the man who, with his pet goons, tried to break up a political meeting not of his liking asking the Liberals to be nice to him.

This issue of a peaceful legislature for for schoolkids to watch is fraudulent. And here is the reason.

Under our system, the legislature decides nothing. Not a damned thing. It simply rubberstamps decisions already taken by cabinet. There is no debating in the legislature because to debate implies the ability to change minds. That simply does not happen.

What, then, is the function of the Legislature?

It is the place those opposed to the government can let off steam. That's it. Nothing more. It is the place where figurative blood is shed to ensure that it's not spilt literally in the streets.

Question period is not for asking questions but for making a political statement with a question mark on the end of it.

Now I ask you who would like nothing better than to see the backs of the NDP - do you really want the Liberals to take it easy on the NDP?

It is in Premier Dosanjh's interest to have a nice peaceful legislature where no voices are raised and no one on his side of the House is embarrassed. But what Premier Dosanjh and Dale Lovick have displayed is what I think is the worst of all sins - raw hypocrisy.

No one made a more vocal and raucous opposition than the NDP. They were experts at barracking the government speakers, heckling at every opportunity, disobeying the Speaker, using every imaginable tactic to obfuscate and delay while stretching and violating every rule in the Standing Orders. Now they are in a whole pile of trouble and they want peace to be declared.

Premier Dosanjh is as bad a hypocrite as anyone. If he truly wanted a greater measure of decorum in the House he would have swung his weight behind the election of Independent Jack Weisgerber as Speaker. Liked and respected on both sides of the House, Weisgerber would have made a fine speaker and would have kept as much control over opposition fractiousness as is humanly possible. But Mr Dosanjh wants to talk the talk but not walk the walk. By supporting a straight political selection of Mr Hartley he has ensured that the gloves will be off and no holds barred.

But what, you may ask, of the appearance of the legislature to visitors, especially classes of school children? People, including small children, must be made to understand the truth. Because of our appalling system, MLAs are ciphers there to do their master's bidding, their master being the leader. The theory is that the MLAs have the power to overthrow a government that misbehaves ... well, as far as I'm able to determine a majority government has only once in Canada's history been thrown out of office by the legislature and that was Sir John A Macdonald's government in 1873 over the Pacific Scandal. And in those days party discipline was in its infancy.

A subdued opposition is the very best thing that can happen to a Premier and the governing party. This is why Mr Dosanjh calls for peace while, in effect, declaring all out war.

If you must go to the legislature, understand how the place works,. Or more accurately does not work. It's sole function is to give public glare to government initiatives without presenting any opportunity for them to be stopped. The Opposition therefore puts the legislature to the only use that can be made of it - a place to capture media and public attention.

Pay no attention to the Premier and his henchmen - they want peace so no one will notice what they're doing. And decent opposition will not let that happen.