MLAs return to the Legislature today
Posted February 12, 2013 7:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – After nearly nine months, MLAs are back at the Legislature in Victoria today for a shortened spring session.
It begins with the Speech from the Throne by newly-minted Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon this afternoon.
Hamish Telford, who heads up the Political Science Department at the University of the Fraser Valley, doesn’t expect there to be many goodies for voters.
“I think what they might do is take a play out of the federal Conservative election book of two years ago,” he tells us.
“If you’ll remember, they promised a number of goodies [that were to be rolled out] after the budget was balanced. I think the Liberals may say ‘Once we’re running surplus, we’ll introduce these items, but that could be three or four years down the road.'”
Telford also expects to hear a lot of bickering as MLAs gear up for the election in May.
“We have to remember this is a very short Legislative session this throne speech is setting up — just 17 or 18 days — and the primary purpose of this session is to introduce the budget,” he says.
“So, what I’m expecting to hear is, frankly, a fair bit of rhetoric about how the Liberals have been stewards of the economy. Perhaps it will be along the lines of the television commercials we’ve been seeing about how there is economic turbulence everywhere in the world but here in BC, where there is a Liberal government.”
The BC Liberals are expected to introduce legislation to wipe out the HST and a senate election law at some point during the session.
News1130 will have a reporter in Victoria when the budget comes down next Tuesday.
