Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer says Canada should position itself as a global energy superpower, given its considerable natural wealth. That's a familiar refrain, but for years now the stumbling block has been political congestion over pipelines. The solution , Scheer said, lies in defining a single corridor that would allow for minimized environmental impacts, lowered costs for environmental assessments, increased certainty for investors, all leading to project completion. The political and economic context for such an idea has changed a lot since it was first proposed for Canada in the 1960s by Richard Rohmer, a decorated Second World War hero whose  Mid-Canada plan arose when Rohmer suddenly became captivated by a map of Canada in his study.  A dedicated, coast-to-coast right-of-way specifically set aside for energy infrastructure projects like pipelines and new hydroelectric projects could only work today with strong endor...

Although this is a constituency week with the House of Commons recessed, much attention remains on Parliament Hill for a few important reasons. Public safety was a primary concern, as Transport Minister  made the decision to ground the use of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in Canada. This decision is following the recent tragic crash of a similar 737 Max 8 aircraft flown by Ethiopian Airlines that resulted in the devastating loss of all passengers and crew on board, including 18 Canadians, with several from B.C. At the present time there is no schedule on when this order will be lifted. Air Canada, WestJet and Sun Wing Vacations are all working, in support of this decision, to resolve the many impacts on Canadian travelers who will be affected by this order. While on the topic of airlines, recently I met with Air Canada over the potential loss of flights at the Penticton airport.   Although Penticton is no longer in my riding, many citizens in communiti...