Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fall sittings of the Legislature in BC - not traditionally that common

Since 1970 we have had a real fall sitting  of the BC Legislature 20 times.  The premiers most dedicated to holding fall sessions were Gordon Campbell and Dave Barrett.

 Here is a list of the dates the BC legislature sat in the last 43 years:

Colours reflect the governing party, bold indicates a year with a full fall sitting.  Notes try to explain some of the reasons there were one of sitting days or breaks in sittings.
1970 Jan 22nd - April 3rd
1971 Jan 21nd - April 2nd
1972 Jan 20th - March 30th, Oct 17-27th (new parliament)
1973 Jan 25th - April 19th, Sept 13 - Nov 7th
1974 Jan 31st - June 20th, Aug 9th(back to work legislation), Nov 1st-26th
1975 Feb 18th - June 26th, Oct 7th (back to work legislation) 
1976 March 16th - June 30th,
1977 Jan 13th - April 6th, June 13th - Oct 21st
1978 March 29th - June 29th, Dec 8th (back to work legislation)
1979 March 21st - April 3rd, June 6th - August 2nd (new parliament)
1980 Feb 28th - Aug 22nd, Dec 3rd - Dec 12th (change of session)
1981 March 9th - July 7th, Nov 23rd - Dec 1st (change of session)
1982 April 5th - July 29th, Sept 13th - Oct 7th
1983 June 23rd - Oct 21st - not really a fall or spring sitting
1984 Jan 30th - Feb 9th, Feb 13th -  May 16th (change of session), September 13th  (back to work legisation)
1985 Feb 11th - Feb 21st, March 4th - June 28th (change of session), Nov 20th - Dec 2nd
1986 March 10th - June 17th
1987 March 9th - July 16th, Nov 24th - Dec 17th
1988 Feb 23rd - March 11th, March 15th - June 29th (change of session)
1989 March 15th - July 20th
1990 April 5th - July 25th
1991 March 11th - March 22nd, May 7th - June 27th (change of session)
1992 March 17 - July 3rd, Oct 20th - Dec 15th
1993 March 18th - July 29th
1994 March 14th - July 8th 
1995 March 13th - July 13th
1996 April 25th - 30th, June 25th - Aug 15th (new parliament)
1997 March 24th - July 30th
1998 Feb 10th (100th anniversary of legislature buildings) March 26th - July 30th, Nov 30th - Dec 14th
1999 Jan 13th - July 15th 
2000 March 15th - July 6th, Sept 17th, Dec 7th 
2001 March 14th - April 11th, June 19th, July 24th - Aug 27th (new parliament)
2002 Jan 25th - 27th (back to work legislation), Feb 12th - May 30th, Oct 7th - Nov 26th
2003 Feb 11th - May 29th, Oct 6th - Dec 16th
2004 Feb 10th - May 20th, Oct 4th - 26th
2005 Feb 8th - March 10th, Sept 12th - Nov 24th (new parliament)
2006 Feb 14th - May 18th, Nov 22nd - Nov 27th
2007 Feb 13th - May 31st, Oct 15th - Nov 29th
2008 Feb 12th - May 29th, Nov 20th - Nov 27th
2009 Jan 17th(Vancouver charter amended at Vancouver's request), Feb 9th - March 31st, Aug 25th - Nov 26th (new parliament)
2010 Feb 9th - June 3rd
2011 Feb 14th - June 2nd, Oct 3rd - Nov 24th
2012 Feb 14th - May 31st

Holding elections in May more or less requires a fall sitting because there is a new parliament and business that needs to be attended to.

Number of fall sittings held by each premier

  • Gordon Campbell 8
  • Bill Bennett 5
  • Dave Barrett 3
  • Christy Clark 1
  • Glen Clark 1
  • Mike Harcourt 1
  • Bill Vander Zalm 1
  • Dan Miller 0
  • Ujjal Dosanjh 0
  • WAC Bennett 0 ( I have not gone back before 1970 so there may be fallings in the 1960s 50s held by WAC Bennett)

The NDP of the 1990s was not a government that seemed at all keen on holding a fall sitting of the legislature, I have no idea if this will be the case again should they form the government next May.

5 comments:

  1. The issue isn't "fall sittings". The issue is number of days the Legislature sits each year.

    By my count the average number of days has fallen by about a third under the Liberal government.

    There is no way around it. The Liberal government has cut democratic debate in our province.

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  2. A third since when? I will update with sitting days

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  3. Campbell would open the Legislature. However, he would leave the country, so he couldn't be asked about his lies and corruption. Christy is good at ducking the Legislature too.

    Harper only uses the House of Commons, to call opposing politicians names to insult them. When he knew he would be asked about his crime, on the torture of detainee's, he prorogued Parliament. Parliament is a total waste of time these days. Harper has rigged it, so he can overrule everyone anyway.

    I would like to see, the Federal government gone. What in the hell do we need it for anyway. The main goal is, to thieve as much money as they can from the people, for their own asinine goals. Provinces have to support, a Federal government, with absolutely nothing to gain, but more rip-offs.

    Provinces would be far better off, out of Harper's Canada anyway. We are being sold, to Communist China, by a very stupid fool, for his own greed.

    The BC people knew Christy wouldn't have a fall sitting. Campbell started, grand larceny BC. Christy has continued on with, Campbell's corruption and thefts, instead of fixing them.

    BC people, are totally furious with, the Campbell/Clark BC Liberals. Christy knows, Legislature would give her a trouncing.

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  4. Compared to the NDP era the Liberals have averaged 80% of the number of sitting days of the NDP

    http://bciconcoclast.blogspot.ca/2012/09/bc-legislative-sitting-days.html

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  5. so really this whole thing is a non-issue but were going to make it an issue because we like being upset?

    We really know how to have constructive dialogue in this province.

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