Skeena MLA Ellis Ross does double duty Thursday in Legislature questions for Government

The Royal BC Museum was the focus for BC Liberals in the 
Thursday morning session of the Legislature

Ellis Ross was the go to guy for the BC Liberals on Thursday, the Skeena MLA taking a lead role in taking on the NDP government on a pair of topics of note in the Legislature.

In the Morning session Mr. Ross was following up on the previous questions from the BC Liberal leaders Kevin Falcon,  asking questions of the Minister of Citizen's Services related to the government's plans for the Royal BC Museum and plans for renovations.

"The Royal B.C. Museum does hold some treasured artifacts on behalf of all British Columbians. So it only stands to reason that it deserves more than 15 months of incompetence. It deserves more. 

I mean none of this makes any sense. I mean, pick an excuse that you disclosed over the last 15 months, and run with it. Pick just one, not five or six. Your story keeps changing. 

The excuse about decolonization was nothing but political posturing by the NDP. I did question the then Tourism Minister about this, and the story changed. They claimed it was being closed for decolonization, and then the story became about asbestos. "Let's blame it on asbestos." 

Now we have the Minister of Tourism claiming that it was never "torn down" in the first place. Now it's about flooding. 

All this started with a billion-dollar museum that nobody wanted, nobody asked for, and then the B.C. government had to pull it back. The truth is that the third floor of the Royal B.C. Museum remains shut down, and nobody knows if or when it's going to open. 

So a simple question to the Premier. Will he give us a straight answer? 

Is the third floor of the museum going to reopen or not, and if so, when? "

The MLA continued with his line of questioning focusing his second inquiry towards the fate of the Old Town exhibit at the museum

"I spoke out of turn here when I said that the museum was shut down. It's not totally shut down. The minister is offering private tours of the third floor and claiming that Old Town remains intact.

So it's closed to the public, but it's not closed to everybody. 

This is ridiculous. This is absolutely ridiculous. After 15 months, after the public said they don't want a billion-dollar refit…. They just want the museum to be open to the public. That's what the public wants. 

So either the third floor is unsafe or the asbestos risks were overblown, because people are actually viewing it with private tours, or there's going to be a flood happening. What is it? 

So again to the Premier, is the third floor still intact or not, and most importantly, when will it reopen?"

The Transcript of those exchanges can be reviewed through the Legislature minutes here and the Question Period video here.

The Afternoon session found Mr. Ross exploring the Thursday filibuster from the NDP which appeared to be running out the clock for the week, with their own members asking questions about the recent legislation to enact a day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

The Skeena MLA noting that the debate was somewhat of a waste of time considering  the Act had the full support of the entire Legislature chamber.

I was watching the debate on Bill 2, which is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Act. To be honest, I thought we were done. I thought we were finished. I thought we did our legislative duty as MLAs representing 87 ridings. 

So to turn on the TV and find out that not only are we filibustering this bill, but it's actually the backbenchers of the NDP that are filibustering…. It's not the opposition. 

This is a waste of time, this is a waste of taxpayer dollars, and it's an insult to Aboriginals all across Canada. 

You're not debating this on the virtues of this act. You're using it as filler because you can't manage a legislative schedule or agenda. You're using this for your own political purposes in the Legislature of B.C. It should be a done deal. Let's vote on this. I guarantee you that it's going to pass. There's no more need for debate. 

It's an important issue. Let's get on with it, and then let's start talking about other issues that are important to British Columbians. Let's talk about affordability. Let's talk about violent crime. Let's talk about the resource industry. Let's talk about other things that are important to British Columbians.

I'm not here to argue with you. I have no criticisms on Bill 2 on behalf of my riding. I have no criticisms on behalf of my community, the Haisla First Nation. I have no criticism. I have no questions.

... 

The minister said we can get to a vote if we have no more questions. Well, we stopped our questions a long time ago. It's the NDP backbenchers that had questions, along with the Green Party. As I understand it, the Green Party is just as outraged as we are. 

This is not a good use of legislative time. It's not a good use of taxpayers' dollars. It's an insult to First Nations. Filibustering — and it's not even the opposition that's filibustering. It's the NDP filibustering their own bill, on a bill that is going to get approved. 

Everybody's going to vote in favour of this. If I heard correctly, the minister said that we can end this, and we can go to a vote, unless…. I assume there are going to be no more NDP backbenchers that are going to get up and ask a 15-minute question just to take up more time. 

So Are we going to get to a vote on this bill?

That seemed to bring an end to any further NDP plans to run out the clock on the day, the motion was called shortly after the MLA's commentary, the session of the day and the legislature week then coming to an end some four hours earlier than would be the norm.

That debate, such as it was can be reviewed from the Legislature minutes here and the House video here Mr. Ross takes on the topic at the 1:10PM mark.

More from the Legislature can be reviewed here.

A wider overview of the Victoria political scene can be examined later tonight, when we update our regular feature Victoria Viewpoints

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.