Drama, defections, and drugs: B.C.'s spring legislative session wraps up

As the spring legislative wrapped up in Victoria, opposition MLAs got one last chance to take the premier to task, a former NDP cabinet minister joined BC United, and after weeks of debate, David Eby promised action around growing discontent due to open drug use.

Question period got so heated, Speaker Raj Chouhan stood in his seat (a rarity) to appeal for order.

"Members, members, members. Take a deep breath. It's not the end of the world," he said during one particularly heated exchange.

Opposition MLA Shirley Bond grilled the premier on open drug use in public places such as parks.

"He could do it today — not wait, not talk, not dodge, not weave," Bond said of the premier.

Left on their own to deal with the issue, many municipalities are implementing a ban. The opposition worries that could lead to a patchwork of rules and instead it wants the province to bring in B.C.-wide rules. The opposition claims things got worse after possession of hard drugs was decriminalized in January of this year.

Premier David Eby got up amidst heckling and said: "Nobody wants this activity affecting our kids, and we will do something."

Eby also promised co-operation with local governments.

While the opposition returned to a familiar theme of public safety, a familiar face also returned to the legislature.

Harry Lali – a former NDP cabinet minister – is joining BC United because he feels the current administration is ignoring rural issues like forestry.

"It's always good to be back at the legislature. This was home for 18 years," Lali told reporters.

Lali, who still lives in Merritt, says he doesn't plan to run again, but will advise Kevin Falcon's team.

A statement from BC NDP provincial director Heather Stoutenburg said, in part: "Harry Lali has not been a BC NDP member since 2020, when his membership was terminated after he actively undermined the Indigenous BC NDP candidate in his riding."

Lali, who is known for being outspoken, dismissed the suggestion his defection amounts to sour grapes.

"That's a stupid statement that they put out. What matters to me is rural British Columbia," Lali added.

The NDP is touting several successes from this session, but Falcon, who leads the opposition party, said he is seeing little progress.

"Who on Earth thinks that crime and our streets have gotten any safer after 100 days of action of David Eby? It's gotten worse," Falcon said.

The debate will resume this fall when politicians return to the capital.