B.C. could proudly break with tradition

Re: “Get ready for some rough political waters, B.C.,” comment; “Horgan should name cabinet,” editorial, June 14. Two conflicting views on potential changes in parliamentary democracy in British Columbia have been proposed.

The editorial proposes to go against parliamentary tradition, and that a “premierin-waiting” should break tradition. It advocates the naming of a cabinet before the party is asked to form a government by the lieutenant-governor. It would be an indication as to where NDP Leader John Horgan would like to go.

In the same comment section, Gary Collins writes that parliamentary tradition should not be broken.

The selection of a Speaker is creating a question mark on its own. Collins brings forward the idea of appointing a Speaker from outside the house. He notes that such a system was tried in a previous parliamentary legislature in a fellow Commonwealth nation, Guyana.

As a true Conservative, Collins was opposed to any tinkering with past traditions. The B.C. Liberal party has a Harperite history, and Harper’s views on coalitions, hung parliaments, clinging to power and traditions are well known.

Both those changes could help solve a stalemate. They could help make the B.C. government be more stable. Instead of rejecting both proposals outright, why not look at them and see how they can be made to work?

Just because they are new and different approaches, they should not be rejected immediately. Quite likely there is some merit to some changes, changes that could be proudly made in B.C. Robert Townsend Saanich