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Former speaker Linda Reid has been a B.C. Liberal MLA since 1991.

Former finance minister Mike de Jong has been in the B.C. legislature since 1994.

Former B.C. Liberal deputy premier Rich Coleman was first elected in 1996. And Solicitor General Mike Farnworth only missed one term from 1991 to today.

But if B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver has his way, legislature tenures of this length will become a thing of the past.

Today, he introduced a private member's bill calling for a maximum term length of 12 years for MLAs.

A premier's term would be capped at eight years under his Bill M202.

"The general public have become cynical about politics and career politicians," Weaver said. "Voter turnout is on the decline. By introducing term limits, certain elected officials will be freed up to think about the long-term consequence of their decisions, rather than just their re-election goals."

He added that he feels that MLAs are "still fighting the Cold War in this chamber".

"We’ve got politicians who’ve been here on both sides of the House since the 1990s," Weaver said. "When the same players continue their never-ending dance of dysfunction, British Columbians all lose."

The only nay vote on first reading was veteran B.C. Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan, who was first elected in West Vancouver–Capilano in 2001.

"When First Reading was called, a fair number of BC Liberals shouted 'Nay' to proceeding with the bill and so I called for a standing vote," Weaver wrote on his website. "The BC Liberal house leader Mary Polak walked up and down her caucus benches trying to figure out who voted Nay. With the exception of Ralph Sultan, the BC Liberals collectively denied saying 'Nay'."

Weaver was first elected in Oak Bay–Gordon Head in 2013. If his bill passes the legislature and becomes law, he may only be allowed to run in one more election.