Parliamentary Bookshelf: Reviews.

• Author: McCormick, Floyd
• Position: Publications

Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, Fifth Edition. Editor: Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Acting Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. Assistant Editors: Artour Sogomonian, Procedural Clerk; Susan Sourial, Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations; and Ron Wall, Manager, Committee Research Services.

It is an ancient adage that one should not judge a book by its cover. In the case of the fifth edition of Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia (hereafter referred to as PP5), the cover does provide a clue as to content. Not because of its look but because of its size. PP5 is a large format book that reveals, upon reading, large ambitions.

For PP5, editor Kate Ryan-Lloyd (now Clerk of the BC Legislative Assembly) and her team built on the ground-breaking work of E. George MacMinn, the long-serving and much-admired former Clerk who authored the first four editions. But while Ryan-Lloyd acknowledges her debt to MacMinn, she has also constructed a very different work.

In the preface to the third edition (published in 1997), MacMinn writes that a new edition was required (after 10 years) because "if a parliamentary authority is to remain useful to a Legislative Assembly, it must be current" (iii).

The organization and content of the first four editions shows books intended as a reference work for parliamentary practitioners. Like Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules & Forms of the House of Commons of Canada, these editions contained concise passages of germane procedural information ready-made for inclusion in rulings or statements from the Chair. These editions did not contain much historical or constitutional context because the persons using them already knew that information.

In her preface, Ryan-Lloyd makes it clear that PP5 is aimed at a broader audience and is intended to serve a broader purpose: "More comprehensive content, numbered sections, callouts with key information, an improved index and modern design are hallmarks of this edition. It is my hope that these elements make the content more user-friendly and accessible to Members and all British Columbians"(v) (emphasis added) ... I trust that [PP5] will continue to serve as a useful reference tool for Members, Table Officers and staff. It is also my hope that this edition will contribute to further transparency and understanding of how the Legislative Assembly operates. The online availability of this book is a step toward ensuring greater accessibility to this public...