Speaker re-opens Province House with new rules

Province House is back open to the public, but there are new rules in place.

Speaker Danielle Barkhouse restricted visitor access after singing protestors in the gallery disrupted a vote on the budget on March 24.

Those who were in the gallery that night are still banned.

Visitors are now not allowed to use cellphones, or read, write, sketch or speak during debates.

Reflecting on her decision to close the House, Barkhouse said some staff and MLAs told her they felt unsafe.

“We didn’t want to do this, but as we all know, it was more than just singing. It was personal. It was attacks, and then it became something outside. It was also weeks leading up to that,” said Barkhouse.

“I have to think of everybody in here, and everyone in the gallery, so it was a hard decision.”

The singing interrupted a midnight vote on the ‘Appropriations Act.’

Barkhouse said there were incidents, including an MLA being ‘blocked’ from leaving that night, and objects being thrown at windows.

The act passed third reading the next day while protestors demonstrated outside the legislature.

When asked if it was people voicing frustration, Barkhouse said the protestors took it too far.

“They can be frustrated, and that’s normal. But that’s meant for emails and phone calls, there are longstanding rules, and I’m a guardian of those rules. I’m trying my hardest to keep those in place.”

Barkhouse said the new rules are in place ‘for now,’ and a committee will be formed to study how other galleries in the country operate.

Opposition leader pleased with decision

NDP leader Claudia Chender says she’s glad Province House is open once again for the people.

But she didn’t agree with the closure in the first place.

“A shooting on Parliament Hill didn’t result in this kind of closure. Why was it closed? Because government rushed through a deeply unpopular budget close to midnight while Premier Tim Houston was in Texas,” Chender told reporters.

She says people should be able to travel freely once they are scanned through security.

“It’s the people’s house, and they need to be here to see business being done.”