Current and former elected officials push for B.C. maternity leave policy

Corey Bullock · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 02, 2025 3:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A radical of elected officials successful B.C. privation a provincial argumentation for parental and maternity leave, thing that doesn't presently exist.

Three B.C. mothers person been pushing for a argumentation connected their ain for years, but past twelvemonth they each joined forces and accidental the state is yet getting connected board. They privation changes to some the Municipal Act and the School Act that would acceptable a modular for maternity and paternity permission for elected officials. 

Under existent legislation, it is up to each idiosyncratic section authorities oregon schoolhouse committee to acceptable its ain policies for immoderate benignant of leave, including maternity leave. But these mothers accidental it's thing that should beryllium legislated by the state successful the archetypal place. 

The radical includes Michelle Mungall, erstwhile MLA for Nelson-Creston and erstwhile subordinate of the B.C. enforcement council, Jenna Stoner, councillor for the territory of Squamish and manager for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, arsenic good arsenic Julie Bremner, schoolhouse trustee for School District 8, Kootenay Lake. 

"There's presently nary baseline argumentation oregon regularisation that tells america however overmuch permission we're allowed to get if we person oregon follow a baby. And truthful it's precise uncommon and inconsistent and uncertain arsenic to what happens if you're successful an elected position," Stoner told CBC's Daybreak South. 

She said this applies for immoderate elected metropolis councillor, mayor, determination territory manager oregon schoolhouse board trustee. 

'Could deter young radical from seeking office'

Stoner says section governments person been advocating for this alteration since 2016. That was the archetypal clip a solution connected the taxable was supported done the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

She was archetypal elected to metropolis assembly successful 2018. Partway done her archetypal term, she decided to person a baby, and though determination was a argumentation successful place, she inactive had to get support from her chap assembly members by mode of a vote. 

"I personally cognize folks, successful this existent term, from crossed the province, who person brought their one- oregon two-week-old babies to assembly chambers due to the fact that they didn't consciousness similar they would beryllium supported successful bringing a argumentation oregon solution guardant asking for leave," Stoner said, adding that it could perchance deter radical from moving for these positions successful the archetypal place. 

"If I'm a younger pistillate and I americium uncertain arsenic to what my parental permission rights mightiness be, it truly is one additional obstruction to this job."

In a written connection to CBC News, a spokesperson for B.C.'s Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said that nether the existing legislation, section governments person wide authorization to assistance permission to locally elected officials for galore reasons, including parental leave.

"This authorization includes establishing policies for leave, outlining however to grip appointments to boards and committees, and different duties during the permission and upon return. This existing attack provides flexibility to section governments and allows communities to plan parental permission policies tailored to their idiosyncratic circumstances," said the spokesperson.    

The aforesaid goes for boards of education. Under the School Act, boards are capable to assistance permission for a fig of reasons. 

The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs did not corroborate whether the state is moving toward building a modular argumentation for permission for elected officials. 

But Mungall told CBC News that since the trio of mothers joined forces, they person astatine slightest received a response, and the radical is hopeful that it volition beryllium up for information astatine this year's Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention. 

Ontario and Nova Scotia person passed legislation

Both Ontario and Nova Scotia are examples to follow, says Mungall, arsenic some provinces person passed authorities astir parental and maternity permission for elected officials.

"Making these changes removes systemic favoritism from our antiauthoritarian institutions and ensures that governments bespeak their constituents," said Mungall. 

Stoner says that it would beryllium a reasonably elemental change, too. 

"There's immoderate wide examples determination that we tin truly conscionable transcript and paste from and determination this forward," she said.