B.C. Liberal MLA reintroduces bill that would allow married couples to combine or hyphenate surnames for free

It went nowhere last time around, but a B.C. Liberal MLA is again pitching a bill to allow married British Columbians to combine or hyphenate their surnames free of charge. 

Opposition House Leader Mary Polak is bringing the Name Change Amendment Act back to the floor of the legislature for the second time in an attempt to modernize what she calls an outdated process.

Currently, anyone can take their spouse's last name after marriage for free — but those wanting to combine or hyphenate their names have to pay a fee in the hundreds of dollars.

"This is a very small change that can have a significant positive impact," Polak said. "This proposed legislation reflects the realities of modern relationships and family structures, and I hope the government will consider adopting it."

She says many people are stuck trying to navigate through the red tape of a formal name change process that costs everyone time and money, adding women are disproportionately affected.

I was amazed when we started talking about it, just how many people were emailing me with their experiences.- B.C. Liberal MLA Mary Polak

"The most common thing I come across in my constituency office is people, mainly women, who've been using a hyphenated name for years and only recently found out it's not legal," said Polak. 

In many cases, those constituents went to get their B.C. Services Card and realized they had to change their name legally.

"It bothers me when there are simple things we could do to make people's lives easier and we just don't do it," she said. "I was amazed when we started talking about it, just how many people were emailing me with their experiences."

Polak first put forward the private member's bill last year, but it was not called for debate by the NDP. She noted there was no specific resistance to the idea from government, but hopes it will be seriously considered this time around.

She pointed to other provinces — such as Ontario — that have already done away with the fee.