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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.