EDMONTON- Amid ongoing speculation about a future effort to “unite the right” in Alberta, Progressive Conservative MLA Sandra Jansen made it clear she does not see eye-to-eye with the opposition Wildrose, delivering a cutting verbal attack in the legislature Monday.
Jansen used her member’s statement to rip the Wildrose, whom she described as the “Right People,” for planning another attempt at bringing in recall legislation by introducing Bill 201.
“They have a limitless energy for outrage, pointing out all manner of tax dollars wasted, yet they filibuster with glee,” she said. “And when their bills and motions are rejected, they bring them back over and over. Now we see the Right People are prepared to introduce Bill 201, likely to be uniquely known as yet another recall act. And they’re doing it for a third time in a row.”
Jansen also referenced the Wildrose caucus’ past opposition to an NDP effort to have more legislative sittings begin in the morning.
“They raise a ruckus at the idea of coming into work at 9 a.m., not because they’re lazy but because they have no computer and support staff.”
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The MLA then laid into the Brian Jean-led party for having previously proposed an amendment to NDP MLA Deborah Drever’s private member’s bill to protect women experiencing domestic violence.
“The Right People know the best way to help an abused woman get out of a lease is to add the swearing of a statutory declaration to their burdens,” Jansen said.
The Wildrose later withdrew its amendment proposal and the Safer Spaces for Victims of Domestic Violence Amendment Act eventually received unanimous support.
Jansen ended her member’s statement by accusing the Wildrose of not feeling a responsibility to protect vulnerable Albertans or to stand up for parents and her rant was followed by a lengthy mix of laughter and applause, to which Government House Leader Brian Mason called a point of order.
“It is very clear in the rules of this place that member statements are supposed to be delivered without interruption by other members,” he said. “The prolonged clapping from the ‘Right People’ over there was a clear violation of that rule and, in the future, I would ask that people be allowed to give their member statements without being interrupted by other members.”
Opposition House Leader Nathan Cooper got up after Mason and suggested the calling a point of order may have been an overreaction.
“Whether it was the clapping or the laughing, I’m not really sure which one it was that was interrupting the member statement but here we are at a matter of debate and this is exactly the challenge of calling points of order during member statements.”
The Wildrose introduced its new recall legislation on Monday which is a modified version of a bill that failed to go through last fall.
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