I read the story in The Progress of MLA Heather Maahs' vote re: condemning proposed tariffs as “wrong and unjustified measures that threaten Canadian sovereignty.” The motion also called on MLAs to endorse the “Team Canada” plan. Ms. Maahs felt that “this was a meaningless time-wasting motion.”
My question then is when we elect an MLA are we electing them to vote from their own perspective alone, or are we electing them to vote as they perceive their constituents would feel?
I have had the experience in my working life of being the rep of our school in local school matters. One school I was representing was more conservative than I am in their beliefs. I can remember being at a meeting and saying that while I personally was in favour, that my school staff would not be and therefore as a representative of that school, I needed to vote no.
Conservative MLA Bruce Banham (and his party’s whip) said that “MLAs were given the right to vote the way they wanted.” So, my question once again therefore is: does that mean the way they as an individual feel, or the way that they believe (even if contrary to their own beliefs) the way they believe their constituents would want.
Elizabeth Gillies
Chilliwack
