Day 5 of ’20 for 2020’ -- put an immediate end to the Community Benefits Agreement ... or as I like to call it, the 'Lack of' Community Benefits Agreement

BC Transportation Minister Claire Trevena
and BC NDP Premier John Horgan

Earlier in the week, while I was looking over my thought starters for the "20 to 2020" commentaries, I decided that today I would bring up the topic of the Community Benefits Agreement ... something which has been imposed on the provinces construction industry.

Little did I know that on Friday the BC Liberal Party would be sending out a media release on that very topic.

In it, BC Liberal Labour Critic John Martin, a former BC conservative member and candidate, called out the NDP for putting all British Columbians on the hook for a massive project-cost increase -- after Premier John Horgan’s NDP government announced the selection of contractors for the Pattullo Bridge replacement.

“Just three days into 2020 we are already being reminded of the NDP's shady, taxpayer-bankrolled Community Benefits Agreement scheme,” said Martin.

“This project will cost British Columbians taxpayers an extra $100 million just so the NDP can pay off their union friends and insiders — that’s money that could have been spent on building affordable housing or providing childcare, to name a few unfulfilled promises the NDP has made to British Columbians in the last two years”, the Chilliwack MLA stated.

According to the Liberals, the NDP’s handpicked union-only Community Benefits Agreement framework is already responsible for an increase of seven percent increase to the Pattullo Bridge replacement project ... and that’s before shovels have even broken ground. 

So, on day number five of “20 for 2020”, comes the call for a commitment by any party wishing to replace the NDP government of John Horgan, to put an immediate end the Community Benefits Agreement ... or as I like to call it, the 'Lack of' Community Benefits Agreement.

Please note ... if you’d like to check out the initial first four items of this series, click on the following links:
#1 … those who wish to lead, should acknowledge that government must be about people.

#2 … a review of services provided to areas and regions where much of the provinces revenues are collected from.

#3 … there should be a full review of all license costs and fees, which the provincial government has imposed upon us, to see where and how they are being used

#4 ... we need a permanent fix to the problem of keeping medical practitioners in some of the more rural areas of the province