Although his allegations about spending and workplace misconduct at the legislature have yet to be proven, Speaker Darryl Plecas is going to have a profound impact on the people’s house and the MLAs and table officers who work there.
His lengthy report landed with a loud bang last week, sending shockwaves through the corridors at the legislature and pretty much into every office as well. While the report was about allegations aimed at the chief clerk and the sergeant-at-arms, going forward will most certainly touch on politicians of all stripes.
An audit will soon begin on spending at the legislature. While the terms of reference have not been set, it may extend back to when the expenses of the MLAs were not publicly posted, and if so, that is where things could get messy.
I expect both the NDP and the B.C. Liberals will dig up embarrassing episodes that suggest members of each caucus were caught in the web of questionable spending on those somewhat lavish overseas trips (try to go to London and not be required to spend a lot of money on hotels and meals). Meanwhile, the B.C. Greens, being new to all this, will gleefully remind everyone that only they have clean hands in this.
The overseas trips Plecas purports to document in his report were not unusual. For years, various MLAs from both the B.C. Liberal party and the NDP have accompanied the Speaker or the clerk to all kinds of conferences in places like London and Hong Kong.
The total amount of spending has been out in the open for quite a while, and on two occasions dating back to 2007 the provincial auditor general raised serious questions about the practice and each time the MLAs either ignored them or took small steps to answer them.
Former auditor John Doyle was particularly harsh in his criticism of the lack of financial controls at the legislature. Gradually, some of the spending – MLA expenses and global travel budgets, for example – made its way into the public view.
Plecas’ report, however, is the first one to shine a light on the alleged details of some of that spending: expensive suits, luggage, jewelry and – of all things – a wood chipper.
He was able to report this because he is the Speaker and as such has sole access to many of the receipts that itemize the spending. He also essentially conducted an undercover investigation by accompanying the two legislature officers on various trips and taking notes.
The day after he released his report, Plecas told me he was in a very unique position that no other Speaker had been in before: he was truly independent, beholden to no party or caucus. I think he may be right.
Unlike his predecessors, he doesn’t have anyone from his home party holding him in check. He’s free to upset the apple cart, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
The so-called “culture of entitlement” has been at the legislature for decades, through governments presided over by the Social Credit party, the NDP and the B.C. Liberals.
The creation of the Legislature Assembly Management Committee (operated by a handful of MLAs from all parties) back in 1992 started to shine a tiny light into the secret, rarified world of MLA and legislature officers’ spending habits. But LAMC meetings were held in secret for 20 years or so.
The first one I attended saw an MLA complain about a new rule being contemplated that would mean his spouse would no longer have the taxpayer cover her meal if she was visiting the capital. The MLAs were dragged kicking and complaining into the open.
Two MLAs – both house leaders at the time – seemed to rise above others when it came to pushing for more disclosure: Mike de Jong of the B.C. Liberals and John Horgan of the NDP. De Jong wanted MLA spending to decline and to be made publicly available and Horgan, ironically, wanted more oversight of the table officers.
Well, there will now be more scrutiny, more oversight and far fewer trips. And we can thank Plecas (who I, and many others, have underestimated since he took the job) for that.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC. Keith.Baldrey@globalnews.ca
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