FRESH NEW HOUSE RETURNS TO GONG SHOW OF THE PAST

De Jong takes fight to B.C. premier, who retorts that ‘we’re just getting started’

For all the talk of a new mood in the legislature, the first two weeks of the fall session were mostly business as usual — at times raucously so.

Granted, the two main parties find themselves on different sides of the house.

But the New Democrats settled quickly into the traditional government stance of trumpeting their accomplishments and shouting down all criticisms. The B.C. Liberals soon enough fell into the Opposition role of making wild accusations amid a lot of heckling and jeering.

Speaker Darryl Plecas, new to the job himself, is not yet up to the challenge of keeping order, with the result that on some days the fresh new house was indistinguishable from the bad old house.

Take the scene during question period Thursday, when for the third day in a row, the Liberals pressed the New Democrats for breaking their promise on taxpayer subsidies for political parties.

Here’s Mike de Jong, house leader for the B.C. Liberals: “Quite a week for the premier. He broke his personal word to British Columbians that they would not have their basic and fundamental right and freedom to decide who to financially support in an election.

“No real explanation for the flip-flop, except this remarkable game of political ping-pong between the NDP and the Green party, who still can’t seem to get their story straight about who was responsible for this.”

By that point, one had to wonder if de Jong had an actual question, or was the former finance minister rehearsing his talking points for an anticipated bid for the party leadership?

Then here it was: “The premier called it (the campaign finance legislation) historic. When exactly did he come to the historic conclusion that he would break his word that the government wouldn’t dip into the taxpayers’ pocket to the tune of millions of dollars to fund political parties?

“And will he stand up and apologize to British Columbians, some of whom he ridiculed for doubting the sincerity of his promise — apologize to them for breaking his word?”

Not to say the Liberals had clean hands on the fundraising issue. Their failure to address public concerns about the role of big money contributed to the loss of their majority in the legislature — and thereby to their relegation to the Opposition benches.

Still, the New Democrats, even as they brought in the reforms promised by themselves and their Green partners, also replaced big money from unions and corporations with big money from taxpayers. John Horgan repeatedly disavowed plans to bring in taxpayer subsidies. He mocked the very notion, branding it as alternative facts and false news spread by the B.C. Liberals.

Now his own government had brought in legislation putting the New Democrats in line for millions of dollars in taxpayer support, with the first $1-million cheque ticketed for Jan. 1.

Far from apologizing for any of that, Horgan barely acknowledged the extent of his reversal on taxpayer subsidies. Earlier in the week he branded de Jong “the class clown” for even raising the issue. Thursday he proceeded on a combat footing.

“I agree with the member; it has been quite a week,” the premier replied to de Jong.

“We’ve banned union and corporate donations. We’ve passed a budget that will put more money into classrooms so kids can get the education they deserve. We’ve taken steps to cut in half the MSP premiums that that side of the house doubled.

“We’ve put money back into the pockets of people who travel and commute to work crossing the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges. We’ve said this week to children who are aging out of care that there is hope for them by waiving tuition fees. And we’re just getting started.”

This to a display of deskthundering from the New Democrats and groans from the helpless Liberals, Horgan having run out the clock on question period with his answer.

All in all, it was a performance worthy of former premier Christy Clark, who was a master of avoiding the question, changing the subject, inspiring her troops and reducing the Opposition to seething frustration — simultaneously.

Other New Democrats accused those who faulted the resort to tax dollars of wanting to return to the bad old days of union and corporate donations. But on that score, there was an apt reply from the editorial board of the Globe and Mail.

“Too many Canadian parties have long operated on the belief that there are only two ways they can raise money — either with unethically large donations, or by feeding from government coffers. That is absurd . ... If a party can’t get by, it’s not the public’s problem. Go to work, raise your own money, and leave taxpayers out of it.”

As the week ended, the New Democrats were still in denial about the flip-flop while their Green partners maintained they didn’t need the money and were open to amending the legislation.

Perhaps that’s a genuine opening for change.

Before the election, the New Democrats said once big money was banned, the options for financing political campaigns should be reviewed by an independent commission.

If the partners in power were serious about doing things differently — instead of just talking about it when it suits them — they could revive the option of sending the issue to a commission.

The enabling legislation is already drafted. Back on Feb. 16, Horgan tabled a bill to do just that.