Kamloops mom ousted from BC legislature for bottle feeding baby

Legislative staff in Victoria incorrectly applied in-house rules when a Kamloops woman and her baby were ousted from the gallery last week.

They were watching question period among BC MLAs and the mother was bottle feeding her baby when staff said they had to leave, apparently violating the no food or drink rule.

“The policy was incorrectly applied as it has no application to bottle feeding; standard operating procedures in this regard have been clarified with gallery staff,” Legislative Assembly Deputy Clerk Artour Sogomonian said in a written statement.

iNFOnews.ca wasn’t able to reach the mother, Melissa Dussault, who was there with a group of Kamloops parents rallying for more provincial education funding.

Bonnie McBride of the Kamloops-Thompson District Parents Advisory Council said Dussault was first barred from bringing her sleeping baby in with a carrier, so she held her child and used a bottle to keep her calm.

It had worked and they weren’t disruptive, but staff approached and ushered her out.

“We were all stunned,” McBride said.

Dussault was caught off guard and didn’t expect such a reaction at the province’s legislative assembly, where they should be “setting the best example” for BC, according to a CHEK News report.

Sogomonian said contact information for two people was later shared with staff. The clerk and sergeant-at-arms has contacted one so far to apologize.