Legislature debate cut off on oversight of lawyers

Opposition critic Todd Stone stood up early Tuesday afternoon and pleaded with the NDP government not to shut down debate on the hotly contested bill that rewrites the oversight of lawyers in B.C.

Government House Leader Ravi Kahlon followed him by serving notice that debate would be curtailed on another bill. But he held off on the Legal Professions Act.

Did Stone win the day? Did he actually change the NDP’s mind?

Fat chance. He just won a reprieve, until 6:15 p.m., when Kahlon triggered the guillotine on debate and lumped it in with two other bills the NDP is tired of arguing about and served notice they would all be passed Wednesday night regardless of what critics have to say.

It’s become the NDP’s go-to move toward the end of legislature sittings. They have unilaterally declared debates finished multiple times in the past few years, on important bills about forestry changes, charging for freedom of information requests and sweeping housing changes.

So the now-routine parliamentary move was executed late Wednesday night in the face of the usual protests from opposition MLAs, but with a minimum of fuss.

They got away with it again.

Stone was speaking at a point where MLAs were arguing about the seventh of more than 300 clauses, with only two days left before the legislature adjourns. “There is no way that this bill will receive the scrutiny that it requires, that it demands,” Stone said. It was passed after just 30 of 317 clauses were debated.

But that was exactly why closure was ordered.

The bill has turned into a big headache for the government outside the legislature and a key point of attack for critics inside.

So better to slam