‘Must work together:’ Alberta legislature boss chides both sides in earplugs spat
Posted Jun 26, 2019 06:54:16 AM.
Last Updated Jun 26, 2019 06:54:32 AM.
EDMONTON – Alberta’s Legislature Speaker is telling government and Opposition members to do better following an angry confrontation in the house over earplugs.
Speaker Nathan Cooper said the New Democrats were right to be upset last week when Premier Jason Kenney handed out the plugs to his caucus to tune out an overnight debate over a contentious labour bill.
Cooper, however, has cautioned the NDP about taking the drastic step of asking him to find government house leader Jason Nixon in contempt of the legislature, which he’s refused to do.
The NDP asked for the ruling after stating that Nixon put in the earplugs and later misled the house by saying nobody in government had done so.
UCP: It was in good humour and fun and it was lighthearted.
That’s how Alberta’s new government felt as they rammed through legislation, in the dead of night, designed to roll back the rights of over 200,000 Albertans….while wearing #earplugs #ableg
— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) June 20, 2019
Cooper said that under the rules of the house he has to accept the word of members who are speaking about their own actions.
The NDP has criticized Kenney for handing out the earplugs and for his United Conservatives offering three different explanations as to why.