Modernizing our House
Why can’t we have a more modern, inclusive, efficient and effective Legislature that truly engages Islanders?
Recently there has been a growing public debate about the role of the Legislature and how it functions. As someone who believes in strengthening our democratic institutions, I consider this a positive development.
Aside from routine housekeeping matters, the rules and operations of the Legislature had been largely unchanged for many years prior to the mid1990s when the government of Premier Catherine Callbeck first established a Hansard office to create and publish permanent records of legislative proceedings.
The government of Premier Pat Binns first introduced cameras into the legislature chamber back in the late 1990s, televising and live streaming House proceedings. The Binns government was also the first Island government to change the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island to ensure a mandatory two sittings each calendar year in the spring and the fall.
More recently since 2015, our PC Caucus has championed and secured some reforms to how the House operates, including adding audio transcripts and live streaming of legislative committee proceedings to improve transparency and accessibility, particularly for Islanders with visual impairments or barriers of literacy or geography.
Other legislative reforms sought, such as improved accountability for responses to Written Questions and expanded use of open data principles to share public information with the public, remain works in progress.
As one of 27 elected MLAs, obviously I have a vested interest in the subject of legislative reform but these questions impact more than just the people who sit in the Legislature. These questions impact all citizens of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Assembly is one of our province’s most cherished democratic institutions. Why can’t we have a more modern, inclusive, efficient and effective Legislature that truly engages Islanders?
I say that we can.
To that end, I have asked the Standing Committee on Rules, Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges to conduct a full, open and transparent review of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island.
As a way of adding to this conversation on behalf of our PC Caucus I have released a public discussion paper for review and consideration with suggestions of potential reforms that could be implemented that would make the Legislature more responsive and inclusive.
Our public discussion paper can be found online at http:// bit.ly?2BqxzC6. These are merely suggestions - I believe that Islanders should be the ones to have a voice in how we govern the province.
There has been much work done by various community groups, including the Coalition for Women in Government, around possible reforms to encourage greater participation from Island women and other under represented groups. These suggestions, including possible changes to the schedule of when the House sits, should be given full consideration.
Our unique size gives us the flexibility to shape our own destiny. Working together with all Islanders, we can ensure the strength of our modern Legislature as a more open and accessible House of the people. An approach like this will ultimately result in better governance for Islanders, a goal I believe that all Islanders share.
I encourage Islanders to review the public discussion paper and to share their thoughts and ideas for reform with the Standing Committee on Rules, Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges on this important subject.