British Columbia.

• Author: Storzer, Mary
• Position: Legislative Reports

Following the May 17, 2005 provincial election, reported on in the previous issue, the first session of the Thirty-Eighth Parliament opened on September 12, 2005. The election of the Speaker was the first order of business for the newly elected House. A former Minister in the previous BC Liberal administration, Bill Barisoff, was declared Speaker in an uncontested election. Another former Cabinet Minister, Sindi Hawkins was named as Deputy Speaker. Opposition Member Sue Hammell filled the new position of Assistant Deputy Speaker. Her historic appointment marks the first time that an Opposition MLA has held a position as one of the Assembly's senior presiding officers.

Under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell and Official Opposition Leader Carole James, both government and Opposition Members have committed to a new cooperative working relationship. Thus far, the agreement is working well, as illustrated by greater decorum during Question Period and an all-party agreement on the completion of scheduled business for the fall sitting. Several significant parliamentary reforms have also been initiated that reflect the new tone in the legislature. For the first time, a majority government in BC has invited the Official Opposition to chair and to have a majority of members on a parliamentary committee: the new Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture. Other significant reforms include the doubling of Question Period from fifteen to thirty minutes--the first change in the length of Question Period since it was introduced in British Columbia in 1973--and an increase in the number of daily two-minute Members' Statements from three to six.

The Speech from the Throne presented by Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo reiterated the government's commitment to the "five great goals" outlined in February's Throne Speech. The goals are to make BC first in education, healthy living, social support, sustainable environmental management, and job creation. Strategies identified in the Throne Speech to achieve these goals include the creation of a permanent policy secretariat to work on cross-government priorities, and the development of clear indicators for measuring progress on each goal. In addition, the Throne Speech emphasized the government's commitment to establish a new relationship of reconciliation with the province's First Nations.

The government also announced on Opening Day its intention to hold a second electoral system referendum, during...