The New Democrats in British Columbia employed a rare parliamentary tactic early Thursday morning to advance legislation that critics argue will significantly weaken the province's Freedom of Information Act. Government House Leader Mike Farnworth introduced a time allocation motion shortly before 3 a.m., effectively ending an all-night debate initiated by the B.C. Conservative opposition.
Procedural Maneuver
The legislative 'guillotine' allowed the NDP majority to halt proceedings without further discussion on the merits of Bill 9 or the Conservative motion to delay it. The Conservatives had sought to 'hoist' the bill until the fall session, a move that would have effectively stalled the legislation.
Farnworth stated he invoked the guillotine after realizing the Conservatives planned to introduce additional dilatory motions. The move set off a series of five consecutive motions: imposing the cutoff, defeating the Conservative delay, granting approval in principle to Bill 9, clearing the way for clause-by-clause committee debate, and adjourning the house.
Opposition Response
The silenced Conservatives took solace in having outlasted the NDP, arguing that the government had blinked first. Independent MLAs Elenore Sturko and Amelia Boultbee supported the government on all five motions, though their votes were not needed as the NDP holds 46 seats.
Boultbee accused the Conservatives of spreading 'factual inaccuracies' and questioned the need for a six-month delay, which she said would effectively kill the bill. Sturko explained she wanted the bill to proceed to committee for detailed examination, adding that her support did not guarantee a final vote in favor.
The Conservatives mounted a strong defense of the delay, leavened with sarcasm, but were ultimately outmaneuvered by the government's procedural tactics.
