NDP fail to topple Speaker in legislature clash
Expulsion of MLA over ‘insult’ sparks confrontation
The UCP government shot down the opposition NDP’S call Thursday to depose its deputy speaker for evicting one of its members from the legislature after a fiery day of debate Wednesday.
While debate in the legislature can sometimes become an unhinged yelling match, an alleged off-camera incident Wednesday led to Thursday’s motion.
During a debate on Bill 30 Wednesday evening, NDP MLA Marie Renaud was kicked out of the legislature after she said “I have never, ever worked in a place where I had to deal with the non-verbal stuff that goes on, the intimidation stuff that goes on.”
She was referring to what she called mocking and imitating gestures from UCP backbencher Shane Getson.
Renaud withdrew her comments Wednesday night, but she refused to apologize, and the acting Speaker, UCP MLA Nicholas Milliken, kicked her out of the House for the rest of the evening. Milliken said the accusation of intimidation was insulting and “intended to create disorder.”
NDP House leader Heather Sweet said Thursday that Milliken failed in his role as Speaker, which is to act as an impartial judge and ensure decorum in the House.
“He took it one step further than (failing) that and actually ended up blaming Marie for calling out the behaviour. So that’s where our fundamental concerns are,” Sweet said.
Renaud said the “targeted harassment and intimidation” she experienced happens often to women in the NDP caucus.
“It’s not unusual for this to happen. However, last night was just worse,” Renaud said. She suggested the assembly needed to look at the way it conducts itself so it can be a safe workplace for everyone.
“It’s humiliating. I was trying to do my job,” she said.
In the House, Renaud said she signed up for vigorous debate, and would stand up for women watching who might enter politics. The NDP took the issue to Speaker Nathan Cooper’s office for a review.
Getson was not available for an interview, but in a written statement said that he was listening to Renaud’s speech, and was watching the MLA who was speaking.
“In no way did I ‘intimidate’ — as others in the chamber will attest — and I strongly reject any allegation that I did,” he said.
UCP backbencher Laila Goodridge said in the assembly Thursday that intimidation can’t be condoned, but heckling is a part of the parliamentary tradition.
“We need to be careful not to label everything and everyone we don’t like as bullying. Not liking something does not make it bullying,” Goodridge said.
The UCP argued that the NDP was guilty of disrespecting women in politics. During a debate on Bill 26 Wednesday afternoon, NDP MLA Marlin Schmidt took a shot at former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
“If nothing else goes right for me in a day, I can at least enjoy the fact that Margaret Thatcher’s dead.” He withdrew his comment and apologized.
On Thursday, UCP backbencher Miranda Rosin called Schmidt’s remarks “disgusting ” and decried political discourse as toxic for women.
Meanwhile, in an effort to reignite debate on the future of pensions in the province, members of the NDP caucus hauled 16 boxes to the office of Premier Jason Kenney on Thursday. The boxes, they said, contained 36,000 pieces of correspondence they’ve received from constituents.
NDP labour critic Christina Gray’s private member’s bill, which would have reversed changes made last year to how public pensions are managed, did not move into the House for a debate after UCP members of the committee voted against it Monday.
“We still have the opportunity to have this government change their minds and allow the debate in the legislature. We have the evidence of support,” Gray said outside Kenney’s office.
The government’s Bill 22, among other things, required public-sector pensions be managed by the Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCO).
Gray’s bill would have made it illegal for the provincial government to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan.
UCP members of the committee also voted down the release of 3,400 responses to the bill from Albertans, citing privacy concerns.