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Bill's motion on western resource extraction

I haven’t gone “political” in quite awhile but the recent statements about western resource extraction got my blood boiling.

I haven’t gone “political” in quite awhile. But the recent statements by federal leader Thomas Mulcair about western resource extraction got my blood boiling. So I tabled a motion on Monday in Victoria. The NDP responded first by trying to prevent my motion from being debated by private members. This would have been the first time in the history of the B.C. Legislature if the Opposition had succeeded in persuading our House Leader and/or the Speaker that my motion should not be debated – the first time in B.C. history!

They eventually gave up trying to stop me but when it came time to debate the motion (one hour – five or six speakers from both sides for five minutes each,) they put up all their urban MLAs, like Jenny Kwan, Bruce Ralston and Carol James. Only one rural MLA from the NDP even came into the House, let alone spoke to the motion (Doug Donaldson.) They refused to use Mulcair’s name and refused to state where they stand on Mulcair’s musing about the “disease” he thinks western resource extraction is.

Anyhow, it was a lively time in the legislature, our last week in this session (thank goodness.) I suggest that the NDP do not support economic development, they have supported economic development. They make noises about supporting something, but inevitably they find reasons to say no and when they are government, they make so many regulations and raise taxes so high, most investment goes elsewhere. At least, that is what happened in B.C. the last time they were government.

Given how important mining and forestry are to our regional economy, it seems this is fair game and it seems people will be interested in this debate.

 

Bill Bennett

MLA, Kootenay East