Green leader turfed from P.E.I. Legislature as sitting comes to dramatic close
Bevan-Baker escorted from chamber after referring to 'farcical' debate over legislation
By Kerry Campbell, CBC NewsPosted: Dec 20, 2017 9:28 PM AT
The fall sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature came to a dramatic close Wednesday with Green party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker ordered removed from the legislative chamber for refusing to withdraw the word "farce."
In the final minutes of the fall sitting, the Public Interest Disclosure and Whistleblower Protection Act came up for third reading. Bevan-Baker introduced a motion to have it sent back to the legislature for further debate.
"In the last few days I have witnessed some of the most discouraging debates on legislation since I was elected two-and-a-half years ago," he told the house.
"We were given the sacred trust to bring forth strong and meaningful legislation that will enhance government transparency and accountability .... And we turned that debate Mr. Speaker, at times into a farce."
Government House leader Richard Brown rose on a point of order, taking issue with Bevan-Baker's statement, and in particular his use of the word "farce."
Unparliamentary word
Speaker Buck Watts ruled the word unparliamentary, and asked Bevan-Baker to withdraw the word from the public record.
"I used the word intently and I used the word consciously," Bevan-Baker said, accusing government MLAs of voting down opposition amendments to bills before they'd been provided with written copies of the amendments.
Watts provided Bevan-Baker with one more chance to withdraw his remark before ordering the sergeant-at-arms to remove the Green party leader.
The Whistleblower Protection Act was one of three key pieces of legislation, debate over which kept the house sitting for 22 days — the second-longest fall sitting of the P.E.I. legislature since fall sittings began 20 years ago.
Numerous amendments to the act were introduced by both opposition parties, only to be voted down by government MLAs. Opposition attempts to amend another important bill, the Lobbyist Registration Act, were similarly defeated.
Water Act amended
However, both opposition parties were able to exert some influence over the most important piece of legislation passed during the sitting, the province's Water Act.
'So I will not withdraw my remark. I think at times yesterday the display of the government side was indeed farcical.'— Peter Bevan-Baker
The government introduced its own amendment to the act that mirrored an amendment circulated by the Green party. The amendment removed what opposition parties were calling a "loophole" allowing cabinet to overrule a ban on fracking in the province.
Meanwhile, the PCs were able to pass an amendment which requires government to send new or amended regulations to the act to a provincial standing committee a minimum of 90 days before the regulations are enacted.
All told, government passed 17 of its bills in the fall sitting, while the Opposition saw one of its private member's bills pass, providing more protection under Workers' Compensation for Island workers suffering from PTSD.
11 Comments According to CBC however five comments were blocked N'esy Pas?
Commenting is now closed for this story.
What would that be if not my real name???
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David Raymond Amos
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David Raymond Amos
Survey Says???
YUP Methinks they brag too much for their own good. N'esy Pas?
https://viafoura.com/company/
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David Raymond Amos
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David Raymond Amos
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David Raymond Amos
This comment stood for about ten minutes or so until I Tweeted and emailed about it
Content disabled.
David Raymond Amos
For the public record what is truly "farcical" to me is that this spit and chew is about a Whistleblower Protection Act of all things.
Perhaps the "Not So Happy" Dentist and his parliamentary cohorts should check their email records over the Yuletide Season and dig into their memories as well to see if they recall any conversations with a certain whistleblower who has been falsely imprisoned in Canada and the USA. Steve Murphy of ATV and everybody else knows since 2006 that he was denied the right to vote but still managed to run for public office five times thus far. Nobody will admit that same whistleblower has been suing the Crown in Federal Court since 2015 for being illegally barred from all parliamentary properties in Canada including PEI. Yet there have been 9 decisions in the matter thus far that can be easily verified from the public record. The decision exactly 2 years ago of Justice Richard Bell (the first judge Harper appointed) should have been front page news across the country. However not even the crickets will comment about it.
Do tell does that statement ring any bells over the Xmass season while I prepare to try put the matter before the Supreme Court of Canada and file some more lawsuits ASAP? Or will CBC block me again and nobody gets to even read it?
David Raymond Amos
Holly Pinkham
Better ask yourself why so few folks bothered to make comment about the nonsense? I said nothing all day waiting to see if anything would develop and now in mere minutes I have added my two bits worth matched the total tally of the comments about the article.
Sandy Brace
I meant the response above to be directed to you
Good for you for speaking up
P.E.I. Green Party Leader quits dentistry
'It became increasingly clear to me it was not something I could sustain forever'
Bevan-Baker had been a popular dentist for more than 30 years in the central part of Queens County, with more than 1,500 active patients.
"I managed to do it, on probably a continuous flow of adrenaline, for the last 12 months," Bevan-Baker said from his dental office in Hampton, P.E.I.
"But it became increasingly clear to me it was not something I could sustain forever."
He believes if he continued to do both, he'd either get sick or his work would be compromised.
'Precious' opportunity
"It just did not feel right," he said.
"I kind of took a deep breath and decided that the political opportunity that exists here on Prince Edward Island at the moment is too precious, it's too unique."
I'll be so relieved to be able to devote myself to that and not feel conflicted all the time about where I should be and what I should be doing.
— Peter Bevan-Baker
Bevan-Baker assures his patients he's not abandoning them: he's brought in a new young dentist, Dr. Sean Curley of Charlottetown, who over the next few months will gradually assume the practice.
Bevan-Baker has been telling his patients one by one. The patients like Dr. Curley and he's an excellent dentist, said Bevan-Baker, which made the decision a little easier.
There have been "lots of tears, lots of hugs," said Bevan-Baker, noting he's developed close relationships with many of his patients over the years. All have been supportive of and understanding about his decision, he adds.
"That's been very touching, actually."
Financial risks
"I have absolutely no job security as an MLA," admits Bevan-Baker. "Good people get kicked out of office all the time."
The next provincial election is still three years away. He said he may return to dentistry if he isn't re-elected.
"I almost didn't have a choice," he said. "I have this opportunity to do something extremely important and exciting, how could I not do that?"
Bevan-Baker takes home an MLA's salary of $68,000, plus about an extra $20,000 for being the leader of the third party.
"Less than I was making as a dentist ... but that's fine," he said. "I'm not crying poor here!"
Potential payoff
Over the year he's been in office, Bevan-Baker said, he believes he's been able to gain traction for himself and his party.
Peter Bevan-Baker believes he's made inroads for the party during his last year as an MLA. (Province of Prince Edward Island )
Looking after constituency concerns takes up many hours of his time, while he's also expected to be the voice of the Green Party at functions and meetings across the Island.
"There was a day last week I had breakfast in Summerside and supper in Souris, and that's just the way it is," he said. "It's not something that I can do half-heartedly ... in between root canals and extractions. It's just not tenable."
He's working on building the party, creating a shadow cabinet of critics and already looking for good candidates for the next election, hoping to build beyond his one seat in the legislature.
"Actually, I'll be so relieved to be able to devote myself to that and not feel conflicted all the time about where I should be and what I should be doing."
Bevan-Baker is also a musician, often playing trumpet and sometimes fiddle at Green Party gatherings.
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Green Party poll shows tight district race between Bevan-Baker, Docherty
Bevan-Baker leads at 38% among decideds in Kellys Cross-Cumberland, according to Green-commissioned poll
The poll shows, among decided voters, support for Bevan-Baker is at 37.8 per cent.
Liberal incumbent Valerie Docherty is at 32.4 per cent, Progressive Conservative candidate Randy Robar is at 24.8 per cent.
NDP candidate Jesse Cousins, is at five per cent.
Twenty-four per cent of those polled said they were undecided.
Bevan-Baker says he was "stunned" by the results.
"It's a two-horse race and I think if people will want to have a new voice in the legislature in District 17, then I'm the choice to do this," he said.
"It also shows that Islanders are ready for change, for real change."
Docherty says reception in the district has been "great" for both she and Leader Wade MacLauchlan
"Like all polls, who knows what's going to happen. It is an opinion and I've always believed – this is my third election – and you just work hard, you go to the door, you meet the people," said Docherty.
"We'll see what happens on Monday."
Robar told CBC News the poll results are quite "inconsistent" with what he's hearing as he campaigns door to door, although he agrees people are looking for change.
Respondents named employment and health care as the most important issues facing residents in the district followed by honesty and integrity in government.
The poll was done by Oraclepoll Research and cost $1,200, which was paid for by the Green Party.
The polling company contacted 344 eligible voters in the riding by phone, between April 25 and April 28.
It's considered accurate to plus or minus 5.3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
They were drunk with power and seflimportance.
Imagine what wisdom, Valerie ever brought to the cabidnet, ------.
If people vote for MacLaughlan, they will get more of that. His is as full of himself as Gjiz was, - just an older model.
Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker makes P.E.I. political history
Dentist originally from Scotland wins 1st Green seat in P.E.I. legislature
Bevan-Baker was winning his district with an 900-vote lead over incumbent Liberal Valerie Docherty, who was at 1,001 votes with 11 of 12 polls reporting. Bevan-Baker dominated the district, taking 54 per cent of the votes.
With his win, it appears the party's strategy to put all its efforts and resources toward getting him elected was a good move.
- Liberals win majority in P.E.I. election
- NDP Leader Mike Redmond loses Montague-Kilmuir
- District profile: Kellys Cross-Cumberland
In this, the third election for the Green Party in P.E.I., the small-party tactic of putting all their resources behind Bevan-Baker had reasonable precedents. It worked for federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and recently in New Brunswick and B.C., where David Coon and Andrew Weaver, respectively, won their seats.
Bevan-Baker made an impact during the campaign, with strong showings in two televised debates, creating a significant social media presence.
In 2011, Bevan-Baker finished third in the district with just over nine per cent of the popular vote behind Docherty and Progressive Conservative Neila Auld.
From Hampton, dentist Bevan-Baker was acclaimed as leader of the Green Party in 2012 when Sharon Labchuck resigned after seven years at the helm.
With the exception of protesting against the controversial realignment of the Trans-Canada Highway, best known on the Island as Plan B, in Bevan-Baker's district, the party remained relatively quiet between the last election and the beginning of the current campaign about eight weeks ago.
The party put together a field of 24 candidates, up slightly from 22 in 2011 when they won 4.4 per cent of the popular vote, just ahead of the NDP's 3.2 per cent.
Last week the Greens released a poll they had commissioned that put Bevan-Baker at 37.8 per cent among decided voters in his district, just ahead of Docherty at 32.4 per cent.
Born in Scotland, Bevan-Baker has been associated with the Greens for 20 years, having run as a candidate in Ontario a number of times before moving to P.E.I. 12 years ago.