The NDP's invitation to become Speaker of the B.C. Legislature was a flattering one, but one in which Delta South's MLA says thanks, but no thanks.
Ian Paton, formerly a BC United MLA, now a BC Conservative, was re-elected Oct. 19 in a nailbiting night that eventually gave the NDP a bare majority of 47 seats, with the BC Conservatives winning 44 and the BC Greens winning two.
“It’s a prestigious role. It’s really a big deal,” Paton said, adding the job requires spending most of the time in Victoria.
He said it’s just a ploy by the NDP to further reduce the number of BC Conservatives in the House.
“It would take away a vote from the BC Conservatives by putting one of us as the Speaker,” he said. “I’m not interested because it would be betraying my own team of BC Conservatives.”
He pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that while he was honoured, it’s the role of the governing party to propose its own candidate for Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
As Speaker, who is supposed to be neutral, Paton wouldn’t be able to vote on any bills unless to break a tie, leaving his party with one fewer vote in an almost evenly divided house.
The new session means a new experience for several raw rookies on both sides who are still finding their way around the legislature building in Victoria.
Only seven MLAs in the BC Conservative caucus have served before.
BC Conservatives go back to the legislature Nov. 12 to be sworn in, with NDP Premier David Eby then calling all MLAs back some time later in the month to name a Speaker.
Paton hopes that over time, some of the former BC United MLAs will bring moderation to the party after some extreme comments made by BC Conservative candidates during the election.
“We need to bring things back to common sense, maybe a little bit more back toward the centre. We want to see the party flourish and do well -- well into the future,” he said.
That can happen by gaining public confidence by weeding out some of the people with some crazy ideas, Paton added.
With dozens of new MLAs, “It’s going to be quite an interesting learning curve over there with all these new people in the legislature,” he said.
He said he was disappointed in coming so close to forming government, saying he had a good chance of becoming agriculture minister, a lifelong dream, which no longer will happen with the BC Conservatives in Opposition.
Paton was agricultural critic before the election when he was a BC United MLA.
He joined the BC Conservatives in September after BC United leader Kevin Falcon suspended BC United’s campaign in August.
He’s not optimistic about the spring session, saying the NDP is saying little legislation will be brought forward.
And with him remaining in Opposition, the chances of getting provincial dollars for local projects, such as dredging the Fraser River channels near Ladner, are reduced.
“They’re not going to give it (money) to you,” said Paton.
