Stunningly, we have both the provincial NDP and the Federal government missing in action and seemingly unwilling to ensure the rule of law is enforced ~~ MLA Tracy Redies

Tracy Redies, MLA for Surrey-White Rock

The last few days have been extremely troubling ... and don’t bode well for our Province ... and our country.

CN Rail, which moves $250 billion in goods along its railway, shut down its Eastern tracks because the police and governments were not enforcing the law.

VIA Rail has canceled its trains across the country. The West Coast express and several key thoroughfares in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere were blockaded with tens of thousands of commuters impacted. Delta port closed down.

The parliament buildings in Victoria were almost impenetrable at one point this week with employees, MLAs and officers spat on, pushed, and bullied all the time having obscenities yelled at them just for trying to go to work.

A constituency office, open to do work for the community, occupied by 50 or more protesters, saying ‘This is war’. A lone constituency assistant barricaded herself in the bathroom of the constituency office, for many hours, because of her fear of the 50 protesters.

... when a small group of people willfully and unlawfully impinge on the rights of the majority over a lawful and approved project, we have a big problem in our country ...

All this over one natural gas pipeline which has the support of 20 elected Chiefs and their councils representing thousands of First Nations (as well as a number of Hereditary Chiefs). A pipeline that has been tested in the highest court in the land (and won) and has the majority of British Columbians in favour.

Stunningly, we have both the provincial NDP and the Federal government missing in action and seemingly unwilling to ensure the rule of law is enforced.

... yes, we are hard working but it has always been our world class, environmentally leading natural resource industries that have led the way to us having a standard
of living second to none by most measurements. We can’t forget that ...

I am sure Premier John Horgan, who fought to get the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) legislation approved -- as well as a $3 billion / 25 year revenue stream to First Nation communities courtesy of BC Lotteries -- must feel a bit stunned that his presumed ‘supporters’ are turning on his government.

No doubt the Prime Minister feels the same.

Never have we had such unrest over two of the most indigenous friendly governments in modern history. This is not on.

What is going to happen with the Trans Mountain Pipeline, another lawfully approved project being constructed in our province?

... they didn’t know they were protesting a natural gas pipeline that
will significantly reduce carbon emissions in China and other Asian
countries using coal fired electricity generation ...

No one is saying that the we should ban legal protests. But when a small group of people wilfully and unlawfully impinge on the rights of the majority over a lawful and approved project, we have a big problem in our country.

No one is going to invest here.

Even before these protests began, Canada’s potential for foreign and domestic investment was being challenged.

There will be lost jobs, lost output and most importantly, for all those protesters who have undoubtedly benefited at some point in their life from Canada and BC’s social services, lost tax revenues.

Income tax, sales tax and corporate tax make up the bulk of government revenues that are used to fund healthcare, teachers, paramedics, universities, roads, hospitals, nurses, bridges.

Every time these protesters block a road, block a train track or block a port they are shooting themselves in the proverbial foot; they are ensuring government has less revenues to fund the social services they all value including important and rightful payments to First Nations communities.

It’s time for the Premier -- and the Prime Minister -- to step up and ensure British Columbia and Canada can get back to work.

Tracy Redies was elected MLA for Surrey-White Rock in 2017. She is the Official Opposition co-critic for Finance. She also sits on the Special Committee to Appoint a Merit Commissioner and previously sat on the Select Standing Committee for Finance and Government Services.

Tracy worked in financial management for more than 25 years, including as Chief Executive Officer of Coast Capital Savings and as a senior executive at HSBC. In 2013, Tracy was named CEO of the Year in recognition of her leadership.

Tracy has served on a number of boards, including the University of Victoria board of governors, the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation board, and as a corporate director for BC Hydro. As a member of the Premier's Women's Economic Council for BC, Tracy worked to improve economic outcomes for women in leadership positions.