Calgary Herald

Calgary NDP MLA protests ‘culture of intimidati­on’

Luff kicked out of caucus Monday night after sending critical letter to media

- CLARE CLANCY egraney@postmedia.com cclancy@postmedia.com

New Democrat member for Calgary-East Robyn Luff is refusing to sit in the legislatur­e in protest over her treatment by party brass.

In a letter that ended up getting her kicked out of government caucus on Monday, Luff alleged bullying at the hands of NDP leadership, including Premier Rachel Notley, saying there is a “culture of fear and intimidati­on that leads to MLA’s (sic) being unable to properly represent their constituen­ts in the legislatur­e.”

In a press release issued late Monday night, the NDP said the decision was made to remove Luff from caucus following a meeting of NDP MLAs.

“Owing to Ms. Luff’s actions, NDP MLAs have lost confidence in her ability to participat­e as a productive and trustworth­y member of the government caucus,” the party said in the release.

“The NDP caucus strives to work collaborat­ively and respectful­ly to advance an agenda that works for Albertans.”

Luff said in a letter sent to reporters that MLAs have been stripped of their power to represent constituen­ts.

The Calgary-East MLA takes issue with the fact she must vote with the leader at all times, that questions are written on her behalf, and that she’s told what to say in the house.

“If MLA’s (sic) should choose to go against any of these directives, there is a fear that they will lose privileges, such as their seat on a committee or opportunit­y to speak in the house. There is also a fear that they will be isolated, and that their political career will be finished, that their nomination papers will not be signed and opportunit­ies never given,” Luff wrote.

Luff said stifling MLAs “leads to hyper partisan rhetoric, and to no actual debate on bills.”

“Everything that happens in the house is predetermi­ned, rendering everything that happens there to nothing more than a vehicle for scoring partisan points. It makes a mockery of the proceeding­s. This is a mockery of representa­tion and a tragedy of democracy,” she wrote.

Premier Rachel Notley’s office was in discussion­s with Luff and had hoped to resolve her concerns, said government house leader Brian Mason.

He told reporters he was disappoint­ed with Monday’s outcome.

“Everybody in a caucus, especially a large caucus, is frustrated from time to time, and I have been, too,” he said. “You take decisions, and you go forward. People have to realize that’s the way government works.”

He said there isn’t bullying in the caucus.

“I think that people are permitted to speak their minds.”

Mason said Luff has a duty to be in the house to represent her constituen­ts.

United Conservati­ve Party house leader Jason Nixon said Luff ’s letter was “extremely alarming.

“We have a backbenche­r NDP MLA who says that she cannot represent her constituen­ts inside the legislativ­e assembly because she feels she has been bullied ... ( by) the NDP leadership,” he told reporters.

“There’s a significan­t difference between the United Conservati­ve Party and the NDP,” he added.

“They don’t allow their caucus to speak their own thoughts.”

MLA Karen MacPherson, who left the NDP caucus last year to sit as an independen­t before joining the Alberta Party, said she’s contacted Luff via text to offer her support.

“I can certainly understand where Robyn is coming from,” she said. “From what I understand from her letter, I can certainly corroborat­e a lot of what she had to say.

“There was definitely a lot of editing of communicat­ion from backbenche­rs.”

MacPherson said her decision to leave the NDP was partly because of feeling bullied, and she believes there are other NDP MLAs with similar experience­s.

“It was really terrifying to do it ... I have a lot of respect for Robyn. I know it took a great deal of courage,” she said.

“It’s way too early to say anything about crossing floors,” she added.

Luff didn’t immediatel­y respond to request for comment on Monday.

 ?? THE CANADIAN PRESS/FILES ?? MLA for Calgary-East Robyn Luff, left, is drawing attention to Premier Rachel Notley’s “culture of fear” in the governing caucus. The backbenche­r takes issue with the fact she must vote with the leader at all times and that questions are written on her behalf.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/FILES MLA for Calgary-East Robyn Luff, left, is drawing attention to Premier Rachel Notley’s “culture of fear” in the governing caucus. The backbenche­r takes issue with the fact she must vote with the leader at all times and that questions are written on her behalf.

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