BRITISH Columbians are seriously disadvantaged by a legislature that remains shuttered, unable to carry out its essential function as a forum for public debate.

An Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in crisis? Forecasts showing B.C.`s long-touted greenhouse gas targets being blown? .

These are fundamental topics warranting a full public airing that, appropriately, would challenge and help shape pub-lic policy.

This won`t happen, however, because Christy Clark, who won a provincial election last May, mandated a 17-day session to pass the new Liberal government`s budget, and then proceeded to cancel any fall sitting of the legislature.

Since the start of the year, MLAs have sat for only 36 days.

As a result, government actions and policies are not receiving the scrutiny they would receive had elected members of the legislature been able to convene.

It is obvious that sitting governments prefer to have free rein, to carry on without being questioned or forced to defend decisions.

But this is not in keeping with our system of responsible government.Canada`s Constitution mandates that sittings of parliament and the provincial legislatures must take place every 12 months.

A set number of sitting days is not specified, but parliamentary records show B.C `s government sits relatively few days when compared to its counterparts. . .

And so, even the most substantial matters are not being debated.

For example, we learned last week Agriculture Minis-ter Pat Pimm pushed for a rodeo to be built in his riding on farmland that falls within the ALR and thatPimm is recommending to cabinet the ALR broaden its considerations to take account of the needs of the oil and gas industry.

Is this a recommendation the government would favour in a province where less than 5pc of land is arable and as existing farmland dwindles by the year? ..

Earlier this month, Clark met with her Alberta counterpart Alison Redford and reversed her earlier stand against Canada developing a national energy policy.

How does this new position square with her government`s rejection last spring of the Northern Gateway pipeline? ... (Nov 21) •