Unlikely allies from opposite sides of the political spectrum joined forces Tuesday to complain that their voices have been silenced in the Alberta legislature.
Derek Fildebrandt, the Freedom Conservative Party MLA from Strathmore-Brooks, and Robyn Luff, the independent MLA from Calgary-East, accuse the NDP and the United Conservative Party house leaders of working together to stack committees with their own MLAs by squelching debate.
Routine motion
The focus of their complaint was a routine motion to change the membership of MLA committees, introduced in the legislature Monday evening by NDP deputy house leader Danielle Larivee.
Luff, who was kicked out of the NDP caucus three weeks ago, was removed from two committees and replaced by an NDP MLA. Prab Gill, the former UCP MLA who now represents Calgary-Greenway as an independent, was taken off the standing committee on legislative offices and replaced by a UCP MLA.
Immediately after Larivee introduced the motion, UCP house leader Jason Nixon invoked closure, meaning no additional amendments could be presented.
Calgary-Elbow MLA and Alberta Party house leader Greg Clark suggested something was afoot.
‘This nefarious little plan’
“(Nixon) got up even before (Larivee) moved the motion, because very clearly they had colluded, and they had a plan, this nefarious little plan in the backrooms of this building, the kind of thing that Albertans absolutely hate and reject,” Clark told the house.
Luff wanted to introduce an amendment that would have allowed her to remain on the influential public accounts committee. Fildebrandt had an amendment that would have allowed him to return to the same committee.
The legislature passed the motion without additional amendments. Luff, Fildebrandt and Clark were the only MLAs to vote against the motion.
Luff and Fildebrandt acknowledged that their amendments would have been defeated had they been able to introduce them.
Changes to committee memberships are made without the consent of MLAs involved.
Fildebrandt noted that most NDP and UCP members in the house Monday night appeared to have no idea what was happening. He said it appeared the respective house leaders came up with a plan without their knowledge.
“This is absolutely an example of how much control the major parties have over the legislature and how committed they are to silencing voices of independent thought,” Luff said.
‘Petty and vindictive’
Fildebrandt suggested the move was taken by both parties to punish MLAs who ran afoul of their respective caucuses — Luff with the NDP, and Gill with the UCP.
“This was the most petty and vindictive thing I’ve ever seen in this legislature,” Fildebrandt said.
“I do think it was in part trying to send a message to terrified NDP backbenchers. I think the Tories (UCP) have a similar interest in sending a similar message to the less obedient members of their caucus.”
Fildebrandt has been harshly critical of UCP Leader Jason Kenney since he was barred from returning to caucus. He has since formed and become the leader of his own Freedom Conservative Party.
Luff was kicked out of the NDP caucus three weeks ago after alleging she was bullied and intimidated by party leadership. She has become an advocate for allowing backbench MLAs more freedom to represent their constituents.