Victoria, B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): The Speaker of British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, Raj Chouhan, delivered a sharp and rare public reprimand to members of the legislature on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The rebuke followed a particularly contentious question period that devolved into shouting, persistent heckling, and repeated interruptions, prompting the Speaker to label the display an “embarrassment” to the province.
As the proceedings concluded, Speaker Chouhan directed his frustration at both sides of the house, emphasizing that the public expects a higher standard of decorum. “Don’t try to be too cool. The public watches us every day,” Chouhan warned, asserting that the behavior witnessed on the floor was entirely unacceptable. While the session began with a calm demeanor, it quickly unraveled as political tensions flared over a controversial government decision.
The primary point of contention was the NDP government’s recent move to shut down the independent merit commissioner’s office. Trevor Halford, the interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives, led the opposition’s attack, accusing the government of deliberately undermining institutional accountability and moving away from merit-based hiring. In response, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey defended the closure as a necessary cost-saving measure, stating that the province is navigating “unprecedented financial times” and that transferring these duties to the Public Service Agency would save approximately $2 million.
Throughout Minister Bailey’s explanation, shouting from the opposition benches made the debate nearly impossible to follow. Despite Chouhan’s multiple attempts to restore order, the verbal sparring continued until the final bell. The Speaker’s stern intervention highlights growing concerns over the loss of parliamentary civility as political parties gear up for future legislative battles.
