Five things about new B.C. Speaker Steve Thomson
Liberal Steve Thomson was acclaimed as the new Speaker of the B.C. legislature Thursday. Here are five things about the MLA for Kelowna-Mission:
1 His job as Speaker could be brief
Given the precarious state of Christy Clark’s government, Thomson may not be Speaker for long. Even Thomson acknowledged this.
In general, the position of Speaker has been held for at least a couple of years, but there have been exceptions. John Hart, a former premier, was the most recent Speaker whose term lasted for less than a year. He sat in the chair for just two months in 1949.
2 Would he be willing to stay on if Liberal government falls?
If the Liberals fall in a confidence vote and the NDP gets a shot at leading a government with the support of the Greens, they’ll still need a Speaker.
If an NDP MLA were to succeed Thomson as Speaker, there would be regular tie votes, since the government would hold the same number of seats as the opposition Liberals. The Speaker would then be forced to break tie votes in favour of the government, which would follow convention.
According to Postmedia reporter Rob Shaw, Thomson wouldn’t say whether he’d agreed to resign if and when the Liberals are defeated on a confidence vote.
However, the Liberals have indicated it would be the responsibility of the New Democrats to find their own Speaker if they take over government, Shaw points out.
3 He’s a former rugby player
At 6-foot-6, Thomson was a force on the rugby pitch.
Thomson played for the national squad in the early 1980s and remains an aficionado of the sport. His teammates called him “Ox.” “I can’t think of a better choice to set the tone or a bigger man to enforce the rules,” Premier Christy Clark said of Thomson as Speaker.
NDP Leader John Horgan is another former rugby player.
“It’s good to have a rugby guy in the chair,” he said.
4 He knows agriculture
Thomson was forestry minister before the most recent election, and has been agriculture minister as well.
He’s also been energy minister. Before being elected as an MLA in 2009, Thomson worked extensively in agriculture.
He’s been executive director of the B.C. Agriculture Council and general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers and B.C. Milk Producers associations.
5 His family farmed
According to a 1992 Canadian Press report announcing his appointment as GM for the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, Thomson’s family owned a farm in the Kelowna area.
He’s a University of Victoria grad in geography and economics.