Vaughn Palmer: Report calls B.C. legislature culture toxic, demeaning

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VICTORIA — The B.C. legislature got an earful from current and former MLAs when it launched a “listening exercise” last year on the state of its own “parliamentary culture.”

The resulting report, released last week, featured laments for an institution that is unwelcoming, demeaning and in some cases downright toxic in its treatment of newcomers, particularly women and MLAs from diverse backgrounds.

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Many of those surveyed had good things to say about the parliamentary culture, too.

But there was enough of the bad to lend some credibility to the complaint that prompted the exercise — the resignation last year of NDP MLA Melanie Mark, who branded the place a “torture chamber.”

A sample of the comments, gathered in confidence by ADR Education, the outside agency that was hired to conduct the listening exercise:

• “The bullying approach, the shouting, the name calling makes me shrink.”

• “Men tend to forget their louder voices and larger presence when in the same space.”

• “I have felt that periodically my opinion is not as valued as my male counterparts.”

• “Women were routinely targeted for being demeaned and treated with less respect. If she was young, Indigenous or a visible minority, it was worse.”

• “Comments on appearance, comments on smiling more, questions about whether I can be a good mother while serving.”

• “Women in the chamber face more derogatory behaviour than men, including dismissive and rude hand gestures.”

A related complaint was the lack of child care, which “has a disproportionately negative impact on mothers and other caregivers,” as the findings from the listening exercise noted.

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“The lack of child care is shocking,” said one respondent. “I heard from my colleagues with children that they don’t feel supported.”

“I desperately needed on-site child care,” said another. “It didn’t exist, and the assembly didn’t prioritize it.”

The majority of the complaints regarded the highest-profile aspect of the legislature proceedings, the four-times-a-week, 30-minute-long forum of question period.

“The heat of the QP is important to debate and democracy,” one respondent acknowledged.

“But I can recall several instances as well as patterns over time when MLAs treated other members much worse than acceptable in that venue and in a way they would never treat white men.”

The Speaker of the legislature came in for some direct criticism as well: “Shouting, mocking, and attacks are allowed, and the Speaker rarely intervenes.”

Other observations were more nuanced.

“Much of what happens in the legislature would be considered as disrespectful, but it is actually the nature of the debate, and I would argue good for democracy,” said one respondent.

“What I experienced and saw, however, crossed even those low standards because it was sexist, ageist, racist, homophobic or ableist in nature.”

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The research firm said the chamber needs to adapt to recognized principles of diversity, equality and inclusion, also known as DEI.

“Given that the legislative assembly’s fundamental origins and structural foundations are predominantly white, male and colonial, careful consideration needs to be given to building a more inclusive, modernized, and decolonized workplace culture that fully embraces and actualizes the values and objectives of DEI.”

Of the current 87 MLAs, 79 participated in the survey along with an unidentified number of former members.

“Overall, a small percentage of survey respondents (10 per cent) indicated that they had experienced regularly and from time to time discrimination/unfair treatment based on family status and ethnicity,” according to the summary.

“Whereas approximately 30 per cent of respondents said they experienced regularly and from time to time discrimination/unfair treatment based on their gender.”

Some of those interviewed did mount a defence of the culture at the B.C. legislature.

“A parliament without strenuous and vigorous debate for fear of offending members who don’t like the political views of their opponents is not a real parliament,” as one respondent put it.

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Still, the result was 17 unanimous recommendations for improvement from the working group that commissioned the listening exercise: NDP MLA Mable Elmore, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, and Elenore Sturko of B.C. United, plus Speaker Raj Chouhan, and legislature clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd.

Their report was scheduled to be taken up late Monday by the all-party legislative assembly management committee.

High on their list of recommendations was “mandatory learning for all MLAs on Indigenous history, gender and diversity, cultural competency, racism and anti-oppression and mental wellness and resiliency.”

One call that is already in the works is moving permanently to the hybrid model for sittings that emerged during the pandemic. It allows MLAs to work from home and participate in house proceedings by video link.

MLAs are expected to have access to a new 37-space child care centre that is being developed for the legislature precinct. The preliminary budget is $1.6 million and it could be open as early as next year.

However, one mainstay of legislature proceedings is expected to survive the drive for a more respectful workplace.

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When a reporter asked if heckling would continue, committee member Sturko — one of the more persistent hecklers on the Opposition side — rubbed her hands together and said “oh, yes.”

Decorum be damned when it comes to that aspect of letting off steam in the legislature.

vpalmer@postmedia.com

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