This is almost getting silly folks.
Jennifer Rice, as a member of the legislature, spoke against the legislation. She voted against the legislation following second reading of the bill. So whether or not she was present for third reading (which is more or less a formality after all the hoopla of second reading) matters little. We know exactly where she stands and her non-vote made absolutely no difference when the Liberal majority was clearly going to win.
I hate repeating myself, but here goes. In the LNG development thread, I said
So I ask: Are people really that upset that she didn’t vote (when her position was already clear and her vote wouldn’t have mattered to the outcome); that she is somehow not doing her job by choosing to honor a commitment to a small village in her riding.
Or are people upset because she did not speak or vote the way you wanted her to.
If the latter then fair enough. That is part of the consequences politicians face but I am not upset that she has done what she has done. And yes, I am a Jennifer supporter (and not just on a party level) but I am also a person who sees the benefits of the proposed project.
The role of the opposition is “ to ensure that legislation is carefully considered, and that differing views on important initiatives are publicly expressed and defended.” The NDP and Andrew Weaver did exactly that. Did anybody expect Jennifer Rice to go rogue?
There is a lot of controversy about the legislation that was passed. In his article opposing the legislation, Martyn Brown, former Gordon Campbell strategist not only said “the Petronas LNG deal is environmentally reckless, fiscally foolhardy, and socially irresponsible”, but he also includes this.
[quote]The Clark government hopes to rush that binding contract into law within the next several days, in the dead of summer, although it is not obliged to do so. Under the terms of the agreement, the enabling legislation need not be passed or put into force before “the end of the session of the Legislative Assembly in Fall, 2015, or such later date as may be agreed between the Parties…”
That is important to know, for it would allow all legislators until at least the end November, or even later if need be, to properly assess that deal. It begs to be expertly parsed and broadly exposed before it is imposed on our province.[/quote]
straight.com/news/488211/mar … on-big-oil
This deal is the blueprint for all future deals. Even thought there was no rush, there was virtually no time to analyze and debate all details. That alone is reason enough to vote against the legislation.
Does that make me shameful or a traitor to Prince Rupert?