Early closure of debate is important to health care because it was used by the current BC NDP government to push through the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) in 2022, with changes to the licensing of doctors and other health care professionals.(1) Early closure of debate was also used by the BC NDP to push through three additional far reaching pieces of legislation.

So, what is early closure of debate and why does it matter?

When new legislation is brought before Parliament and other governing bodies in our parliamentary system, it undergoes three readings. The first reading is simply an announcement with some hand waving that it is being brought before the house, and the third reading is often an equally brief rubber stamping rather than true consideration. However, the second reading has special significance as it is the time when the legislation is reviewed clause by clause in the house and open to discussion by all MLA’s, not just those of the opposition, to ask questions that they or their constituents have, to clarify the meaning and purpose of the legislation.

It is the transcript in Hanshard of the discussions during the second reading that judges may refer to when a dispute is brought before the courts as they attempt to determine the meaning and purpose of the law and if it has been contravened.

Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau explained this in an interview on Mo Amir’s show, “This is Vancolour”, and she goes on to say, even elementary students aged 10 understand the importance of this. But it was ignored by the BC NDP. (2)

This happened in the BC Legislature over the past several years during the term of the current BC NDP government - not once or twice, or even three times. It happened four times and each time it was well-known senior NDP MLA and Cabinet Minister Mike Farnworth who moved to limit time for debate on each of the four different pieces of legislation. With insufficient time, the time expired while more than half of the important clauses in the legislation were never read in the legislature and not discussed.

Ordinary people throughout BC wondered what does this mean, what is this early closure of debate? Lindsay Kenny of Kelowna decided to take a look and read Hanshard herself to see what happened in the BC Legislature.

Through reading Hanshard, Lindsay found that, while the BC NDP Government could move to limit the time for debate, when the time expired, the Standing Rules of the Legislature state the matter must be immediately adjourned. There can be no further action or decision on the matter. To do so, it must be brought back as a new Bill with a new printing in a new session of the legislature. In one of the four instances, opposition MLA Shirley Bond is quoted in Hanshard as reminding the Government of this. Take a listen to what Lindsay found (3).

Thus, we have four pieces of legislation that, under the BC NDP, were subject to early closure of debate and then, with disregard for the Standing Rules of the Legislature, they were passed as law instead of being adjourned. Is this a clear disregard of the rules of our parliamentary democracy and an abuse of power? What will a new government do about this?

People throughout BC want a change in government and also a change in how government works.

Web links:

(1) 2023 Nov 6 Dr. Zafar Essak, Doclounge What loud bells will wake BC doctors and the public to the dangers of Bill 36, the HPOA?

(2) 2023 Dec 4 interview with Sonia Furstenau on Mo Amir’s show, “This is Vancolour”. Sonia Furstenau on the BC NDP's troubling pattern of governance with Bill 44 the Transformative Housing legislation, similar to previously with the Health Professions and Occupations legislation and before that with Forestry legislation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT3CCfBSjOk

(3) 2024 Mar 7 Listen to Lindsay Kenny of Kelowna share in six minutes her findings from reading Hanshard on the early closure of debate on bills 36, 37, 39, and 44.

https://rumble.com/v4iaux3-bc-physicians-and-health-professionals-hpoa-bill-36-meeting-mar-7-2024.html?start=3615 Click play and wait patiently for it to advance and start playing.

Start time: at 60 mins, Lindsay Kenny

During Committee stage, senior NDP MLA and cabinet minister Mike Farnsworth made the same motion on Bills 36, 37, 39, and 44 despite Standing Orders of the Legislature.

63% of Bill 36, more than 400 sections, were not even looked at on the public record. Did Adrian Dix not want the debate on the record?

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