Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

BC Legislature

Local MLAs eye budget as top concern ahead of return to Legislature

May 29, 2020 | 3:57 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Legislative Assembly of B.C. is set to reconvene on June 22, after a months-long break due to COVID-19.

While some MLAs will meet from the comfort of their homes, local opposition MLAs Todd Stone and Peter Milobar expect to attend in person.

“It sounds like there will be 25-to-30 MLAs out of the 87 sitting in person,” Milobar said. “Todd and myself are likely two of those who will be there in-person for the six weeks of sitting and then everyone else will be participating virtually. So, all 87 MLAs will still have an opportunity to provide input, debate.”

Milobar says MLAs within the B.C. Liberal Party have decided whether or not to return based on their own health and the health of their families.

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“I’m not sure how the NDP are going to be handling that,” he said. “We’ve certainly run through a checklist of questions and answers that people in our caucus would go through in terms of, do you have immunocompromised people in your own household? What is your own health situation like? Those types of things.”

The schedule has the MLAs sitting in the legislature Monday through Wednesday and meeting virtually on Thursdays and Fridays to debate the budget.

Milobar and Stone have decided to drive back and forth together.

“We’ve agreed to expand our respective circles to include each other,” Stone said. “He knows what my family’s been up to, I know the measures that his family has taken, so we’re very confident that we can manage this well, safely.”

The local MLAs say they’re concerned that the budget remains the same as it was prior to the pandemic.

“That budget is so completely out of date and out of alignment with the current circumstances that British Columbians find themselves in today,” Stone said. “I can’t for the life of me understand why the government isn’t bringing in a revised budget.”

While political parties have attempted to be as cooperative as possible throughout the pandemic, that spirit is likely to change upon a return to the Legislature.

“The important thing here is votes will still take place, debates will take place and there will be accountability once again on the multi-billion dollar decisions that the government of British Columbia is making.”