NEW WESTMINSTER — A Conservative MLA was ejected from the British Columbia legislature Tuesday during a fiery Question Period exchange with BC NDP Premier David Eby.
Claire Rattée, the MLA for Skeena and a former Kitimat councillor, was ordered to leave the chamber by the Speaker after she repeatedly shouted that Premier David Eby was misleading the house by claiming Conservatives do not support the LNG Canada project.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions as MLAs returned to work following the long weekend and a week-long recess in the spring session.
It began when Conservative MLA Bruce Banman, one of the chamber’s most notorious and vocal hecklers, launched a tirade against the premier.
As the back-and-forth intensified, NDP MLA Ravi Parmar could be seen and heard behind Eby telling a member opposite, “You’re a joke. You’re a joke.”
Rattée repeatedly interjected, accusing Eby of misleading the legislature on Conservative support for LNG Canada.
Despite multiple warnings from the Speaker of the House Raj Chouhan, including what was described as a “last warning,” Rattée continued shouting.
“Kick me out if you want to,” Rattée can be heard saying — and kicked out she was.
“No argument with the chair. The member is asked to leave that chamber now. Please,” the Speaker said.
Rattée was then escorted out of the legislative chamber, visibly pointing and continuing to yell in the direction of Premier Eby as she left.
Eby continued his remarks after the ejection, highlighting what he called "strong progress" on major projects and economic development.
Even after her ejection, Eby delivered a parting jab: “Her mayor from Terrace visits me all the time. His big concern... that the economic growth is too significant for his community to bear. These are the challenges that we're facing and that the member and her leader are complaining about.”
The ejection capped a surprisingly lively return to the legislature after a week-long break. The day had begun on a lighter note, with an NDP MLA announcing free ice cream behind the building in the afternoon and the Speaker joking that only MLAs on good behaviour would be allowed any.