The leader of the BC Green Party wants to place term limits on MLAs and has tabled a private members bill to get it done.
Andrew Weaver wants MLAs to be capped at three terms in office, or 12 years if there are regularly scheduled elections.
“Limiting terms to three years is ample. I think most British Columbians would agree that we have had a couple MLAs that have been sitting here since the 1990s. Society has moved on. What skill set are you bringing to this place if you have been here 20 years? We want new ideas. We want rejuvenation. What better way than to actually have term limits.”
Why three terms?
“So Mr. Horgan was four years as an opposition MLA then nearly four years as leader of an opposition party and then be became Premier for four years. That would be a nice 12 years as you have actually learned and I can see there is a training process there. However if you are a backbench MLA for 15 or 20 years at some point it is time to move on.”
John Horgan was first elected to office in 2005 and became Premier in his fourth term.
Weaver, who has threatened to cap his own political life at three terms, says he will follow by example.
“Of course I would not do more than three terms. We will determine if I do three terms or not at some point in the future. Certainly I do not introduce this and intend to follow it that would be profoundly hypocritical. I am a firm believe in that you go in and do your thing and get out and let someone else do it. After 12 year if you haven’t had the impact haven’t had the change you got into politics for then really you haven’t been successful move on.”
On Twitter Liberal MLA John Rustad raised the possibility such a term cap would violate the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Section 3 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms constitutionally guarantees Canadian citizens the democratic right to vote in a general federal or provincial election and the right to be eligible for membership in the House of Commons or of a provincial legislative assembly
— John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) February 21, 2019
