37 MLAs voted to repeal the human rights of British Columbians

I appreciate Don Schaffer directly marking this point in time in British Columbia. Last week 37 members of the legislative assembly, all of them members of the BC Conservative Party, voted to repeal the law that protects the human rights of British Columbians.

In an extraordinary move in British Columbia’s legislative history, a member of the legislative assembly proposed a bill to repeal the province’s entire Human Rights Code. Thirty-six other MLAs voted to support it.

There are moments in politics that pass quickly — buried in procedure, softened by language, diluted by distraction. And then there are moments that deserve to be marked clearly, because they reveal something fundamental about where we are.

The bill was introduced by Tara Armstrong, the MLA for Kelowna–Lake Country–Coldstream.

Her legislation — titled the Human Rights Code Repeal Act — did not propose reform.

It proposed repeal.

Full repeal.

The vote was 50 against. 37 in favour.

Don names it, in plain language. We should not forget them, especially when election time rolls around and we get to ask them if they still think people should not be protected from discrimination.