P.E.I. to put rules in place for online sittings
Recommendations for virtual hybrid sittings to be debated today
In 2021, P.E.I. legislators may end up conducting parliamentary business from their living rooms.
Today, members of the legislative assembly are expected to consider adopting a series of recommendations that would allow virtual hybrid sittings of the legislature in the event of a local outbreak of COVID-19.
Hannah Bell, chairwoman of the standing committee on rules, regulations, private bills and privileges, tabled the recommendations on Friday. The committee was tasked during the spring sitting with examining the best model for possible virtual sittings.
The recommendations called for changing the Rules of the Legislative Assembly to allow members to participate in sittings either in person or via live video stream. If adopted, the changes would take effect Jan. 1, 2021, but could be put in place earlier if needed.
“We need this in place now because obviously we're seeing (a) COVID surge,” Bell told the Guardian in an interview.
“While we're OK here, we can't pretend that we don't have to plan for if we're not.”
Across Canada, COVID-19 cases have been increasing at a rate more intense than the first wave of the pandemic. P.E.I. has not yet seen as significant a surge in new cases.
The committee’s recommendations called for a minimum quorum of 10 legislators to be physically present in the legislative assembly, with additional members participating virtually via the Zoom video platform.
Members will not be permitted to turn off their video cameras while taking part in sittings. Eating or taking phone calls while onscreen would be prohibited, as would be unmuting one’s microphone to heckle other members.
Votes would take place with members displaying a blank white card for a “yea” vote, or by displaying a card bearing a black “x” for a “nay” vote. Members will also be able to request a verbal roll call.
Bell said these features are recommended to ensure transparency of proceedings, which will continue to be livestreamed.
“This has to be broadcast to the public,” Bell said.
“So, it is to ensure that it’s as participatory and as visible as possible.”
The committee also recommended the Zoom platform for sittings, with security protections enabled. The platform allows participants to log onto video conferences after they have been sent a web link.
The recommendations noted that the use of this technology could involve “some level of risk,” but said provincial IT staff has attempted to reduce these risks.
Early in the pandemic, as the use of the Zoom conferences skyrocketed, questions were raised about the security and questionable encryption of the platform. Users have complained of what is known as “Zoom bombing” of video sessions by unwanted participants due to frequency of sharing conference access links through email or social media.
Zoom Video Communications Inc. has said it has improved its security features.
Bell said some of these security concerns were moot in this case because the videos are intended to be public. But she said security settings will only allow designated members to join the sittings.
“Once you are logged in, then it’s locked so that no other participants can join. And you have to go through a security process if you leave it to go back in again,” Bell said.
So far, the House of Commons in Ottawa and the legislatures of B.C. and Manitoba have begun holding hybrid sessions.
Newfoundland and Labrador has put in place changes to allow hybrid sittings but has not yet made use of them, Bell said.