Campbell government to end legislative logjam by shutting down debate

The B.C. Liberal government is planning to wrap up the current session of the legislature on Thursday by shutting down debate on several controversial bills.

The carbon tax and a controversial bill to cap election spending by advocacy groups are among eight of the bills the government is determined to pass before the legislature adjourns for the summer at 6 p.m. PT.

The NDP says the move is undemocratic, especially since the carbon tax bill is a budget bill, and there has been no chance to give it adequate scrutiny.

"It is unprecedented for a budget bill to be rammed through by the use of closure by any government in the history of this province. … And frankly, we think that is just wrong," said NDP house leader Mike Farnworth.

But Liberal house leader Mike de Jong says all the bills have been before the legislature for a month, and it is the NDP's stalling tactics that have created the legislative logjam.

"It may be convenient for them to set up this circumstance," said De Jong on Wednesday. "It was deliberate on the part of the opposition. There's no doubt about that. But the bills will be dealt with."

And once the house rises at the end of the day, it's not clear when the MLAs will return to Victoria since the government has not yet decided whether there will be a fall sitting.