Controversial Okanagan MLA tries to repeal BC Human Rights Code

Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong introduced a bill in the legislature Thursday in an effort to repeal the BC Human Rights Code after a decision to fine a former BC school trustee $750,000.

Armstrong introduced the Human Rights Code Repeal Act, Feb. 26, and it was voted down 50 to 37.

The repeal attempt comes after the BC Human Rights Tribunal fined former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld $750,000 for hate speech and discrimination. The tribunal said Neufeld, “publicly denigrated LGBTQ people and teachers and associated them with the worst forms of child abuse.”

Armstrong said the tribunal’s decision was an attack on freedom of speech.

“This bill will protect ordinary people with common beliefs from politically motivated financial attacks,” she said in the assembly. “The judgment last week was a wake-up call, and Canadians are demanding their freedoms back.”

The bill would have gotten rid of the Human Rights Commissioner and abolished the Human Rights Tribunal.

The BC NDP quickly put out a statement rebuking Armstrong and the BC Conservatives for voting in favour of abolishing the Human Rights Code.

“Repealing the Human Rights Code would mean a woman could be paid less just because she’s a woman, a family could be denied housing because of the colour of their skin, and a person of faith could be fired over their religion. This bill would quite literally legalize all forms of discrimination, and the BC Conservatives couldn’t muster the courage to stand against it,” Attorney General Nikki Sharma said in a press release.

Former BC Conservative turned independent Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee posted on social media railing against Armstrong’s bill.

“This person abuses her parliamentary position almost daily, introducing bills that have no real policy intent or hope of passing, for the sole purpose of making the rest of us jump up and down like trained seals so she can procedurally dog whistle to her homophobes and Trump supporters,” she wrote in a post.

Armstrong and her former party OneBC have introduced several other bills that failed to get a first reading like a bill to ban land acknowledgements, cancel National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Last week, Armstrong introduced a bill to to classify gender transition as a form of child abuse which failed at the first reading.

Armstrong is still facing a recall campaign that is set to start collecting signatures in April.