British Columbia.

• Date: 22 September 2022
• Author: Beaton, Natalie
• Published date: 22 September 2022
• Author: Beaton, Natalie

Spring Sitting Period

During the spring sitting period of the Legislative Assembly, a total of 13 bills received Royal Assent. Of note was the Anti-Racism Data Act, which lays the foundation for the province to collect, publish and use disaggregated race-based data to address service gaps and barriers faced by racialized people. For the first time in 15 years, a Private Member's bill was debated during Private Members' Time, when former B.C. Liberal Party Member Stephanie Cadieux moved second reading of Bill M 202, Equal Pay Reporting Act. On the final day of the summer sitting on June 2, a long adjournment motion was adopted and the Legislative Assembly is scheduled to return on October 3, 2022.

On May 11, B.C. NDP Member Rick Glumac made B.C. history by proposing to his partner, who was seated in the public gallery, during Members' Statements. This is the first marriage proposal to take place in the Chamber during a proceeding of the Legislative Assembly.

Committee of Supply

The Legislative Assembly adopted a Sessional Order on May 10 authorizing the Committee of Supply to sit in three sections to consider the 2022-23 Estimates; Section A was also authorized to consider bills at committee stage. Unlike 2021, when Committee of Supply proceedings were held in a hybrid format, the spring proceedings took place primarily in person. The Committee of Supply spent 170 hours considering Estimates in the spring sitting period which is similar to last year when the Committee of Supply spent approximately 171 hours considering the 2021-22 Estimates.

Liberal Caucus Party Standings

The new B.C. Liberal Party Leader, Kevin Falcon, was sworn in as the Member for Vancouver-Quilchena on May 16. Former B.C. Liberal Party Member Ms. Cadieux resigned on April 28 to take on the role as Canada's first Chief Accessibility Officer. A byelection for South Surrey must be called by October 28, 2022...