Clark misses transgender rights vote to attend Liberal party fundraiser

Premier Christy Clark VICTORIA missed the vote in the legislature this week on transgender rights in order to attend a party fundraiser.

The premier joined members from both parties on the front steps of the legislature on Monday morning to celebrate the pending legislation.

Her staff confirmed she left the capital later in the day to return to Vancouver for a fundraiser that had long been scheduled. Clark was said to have regretted the clash of schedules and asked party officials to avoid it in future.

The B.C. Liberal Party could not immediately be reached for comment.

“This was an entirely avoidable mistake and we are disappointed in how we handled it,” said Ben Chin, the premier’s spokesman.

“Monday’s event was long planned, but it could easily have been rescheduled. Premier Clark has made it clear that we need to do better.”

The vote, taken at 5:40 p.m. Monday, was unanimous, with all 70 MLAs in the chamber voting in favour.

B.C. Liberal MLA Laurie Throness, who’d spoken against the change earlier in the afternoon, deliberately left the chamber in order to abstain from voting one way or another.

The change, which specifically recognizes transgender identities in the Human Rights Code, was long urged by the Opposition New Democratic Party. The B.C. Liberals insisted that the change was unnecessary but changed their position on the eve of the current summer session of the legislature.

NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, who spearheaded the change over several years, said he was deeply disappointed the premier couldn’t be bothered to speak in favour of the bill in the legislature and vote on the change. Having her there in person would have showed the province was united at an important moment, he said.

“You don’t come for a photo-op for people and then choose not to debate, not to vote, just so you can raise money for your own party,” he said. “It’s like putting your own party ahead of showing solidarity for human rights. It’s a historic vote for transgender people and the premier skipped town to make money for her party. It’s just gross.”

The premier, through her house leader, was the one who scheduled the time of the vote in the legislature, making it doubly odd that she couldn’t have chosen to take a latenight float plane or Helijet back to Vancouver and attend both events, said Chandra Herbert.

“By ditching town to raise money for crass partisan purposes, it’s gross and it shows no respect for the community who had fought for so many years to make this happen,” he said.

Voting in favour were 39 Liberals, 30 New Democrats and independent MLA Vicki Huntington.

Clark has come under fire in recent months for expensive party fundraisers in which supporters get time with the premier and her ministers. Other provinces have moved away from allowing such fundraisers, but Clark has instead ordered the B.C. Liberal Party to start posting details about party donors online every two weeks.