BOWING OUT — Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon made what might have been her farewell appearance at the legislature this past week, to give royal assent to various bills.
The Nicola Valley rancher went out the way she came in, reciting her favourite quote, from soil scientist Charles Kellogg, who wrote in 1938: “Do civilizations fall because the soil fails to produce, or does a soil fail only when the people living on it no longer know how to manage their civilization?”
Her five-year term expired last month and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to name a successor before the legislature is scheduled to resume sitting next February.
Guichon will go down in history for the role she played last summer in sorting out who had the confidence of the house after the B.C. Liberal government lost the vote to endorse its throne speech.
Former premier Christy Clark and then-Opposition leader John Horgan were summoned to Government House on June 29. After hours of suspense, Guichon decided not to call another election, as Clark advised, and called on Horgan to take over, based on the deal the NDP had made with the Greens.
It’s the most direct intervention a lieutenant-governor has made in politics in generations. Provincial lieutenant-governors were invited to attend Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette’s swearing-in, and were said to be still buzzing about it, showering the B.C. contingent with attention.
NO COMMENT — Horgan has absolutely nothing to say about whatever his predecessor used to say. No interest in referring to her whatsoever. Couldn’t care less.
Asked in a media scrum about one of her past statements, he said: “I appreciate the opportunity to comment on premier Clark. I’ll pass on that.”
But he couldn’t help himself. A second later he offered this: “She said whatever she said, I was never confident those facts were accurate. There were many assertions made by the former premier that proved to be inaccurate.”
Other than that, he said: “I won’t go to that.”
THAT’S RICH — Horgan did offer a few kind words for Langley East MLA Rich Coleman during his final question period as interim leader of the B.C. Liberals.
“While I have the floor — and I appreciate I only have a half an hour — I want to pay tribute to the member opposite, the leader of the Opposition,” Horgan said. “This will be his last day as leader of the Opposition as the opposite party selects a new leader.
“Twenty-one and a half years of service to this institution. We have disagreed almost every day of our time together, but I do hold the member in very high regard. He knows that. I’m grateful for the work that he did to step up and assist the Opposition in what was a difficult transition for them. He has, in his own way, made it a little bit more difficult for me — but not today.”
MAHALO — Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons bid farewell to another stalwart of the legislature: Luana Daoust.
“It’s a special day … for someone who we see on a daily basis in the dining room,” he said. “That’s Luana, who we’ve known over the years as a welcoming face in the dining room and someone who’s been an important part of our lives. Today is a day that will be her last day in the dining room. She’s also going home, to Hawaii, where her family is.
“Thank you, Luana, for your service to us in the house and all the guests who’ve come through the door.
“We’ll miss you a lot.”
