Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Did you know? More than 5,000 hunters visit BC each year, generating approximately $116 million in annual revenue. The guide outfitting industry is a major part of our economy here in Cariboo-Chilcotin, providing 2,000 jobs. This week in the Legislature, I had to immediately speak out against the NDP government’s Bill 14 – the Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act. On the surface, this bill appears to simply accelerate the permitting of projects like wind-farms in our province.  Of course, “streamlining” and “cutting red tape” always sound nice. But the claws of this legislation dig much deeper. Under Bill 14, guide outfitter, hunting, angling, and other Wildlife Act licenses can be suspended or cancelled indefinitely, without any chance for a hearing, appeal, or compensation.  Let’s imagine that you operate a small guide outfitter business in the Cariboo, and that is how you earn your income and support your family. You consider yourself a steward o...

L orne Doerkson, Conservative MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, raised serious concerns today regarding Bill 14's unprecedented powers, which allow unelected bureaucrats to indefinitely suspend or cancel guide outfitter, hunting, angling, and other Wildlife Act licenses without hearings. " The NDP’s Bill 14 grants far-reaching powers to David Eby and his NDP Government Ministers, allowing them to indefinitely suspend or cancel guide outfitter, hunting, angling, and other Wildlife Act licenses without a hearing ," said Doerkson. " There must be limits and protections for guide outfitters, hunters, anglers, and others against NDP government overreach ." Doerkson highlighted specific concerns with Section 18(1)(d) of Bill 14, emphasizing the lack of clear criteria, no clause for a fair appeal process, and the absence of statutory guarantees for compensation if licenses are suspended indefinitely without a hearing. " Thousands of jobs and family-owned ...

Whenever I delve into the topic of health care in BC, I always want to start by thanking our frontline healthcare workers for what they do. That includes paramedics, as we have some very rural parts here in Cariboo-Chilcotin which means lives are saved in the ambulance. The hospitals in our region are governed by Interior Health, and in just two months last year – July and August 2024 – Interior Health had nearly 60 emergency room closures across their hospital network. That’s why back in early August I held a healthcare rally in Williams Lake alongside the local mayor and about 250 supporters. We didn't congregate to target Interior Health, but rather to call on the NDP government to fund rural health care, address service gaps, and support our seniors. Thankfully, there hasn’t been an emergency department closure at one of our hospitals in Cariboo-Chilcotin since October 30, 2024. However, the thought of another summer of ER closures in this region weighs he...

  Carolyn Bennett (Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations) and Scott Fraser (BC Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation)   In the Tsilqhot'in Land Claims negotiations in central British Columbia, the Federal and Provincial governments are walking on pretty thin ice. With their determination to appear to be “solving” the issue of First Nations title, Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs Carolyn Bennett, and BC Minister of Indigenous Relations Scott Fraser seem willing to simultaneously sacrifice the rights of non-Indigenous people and businesses.  In the six years since the Tsilqhot'in Title Lands were created overnight in 2014, trapping non-Indigenous businesses under a new legal regime, many have been driven to the brink of bankruptcy by government’s purposeful inaction. “ We are not sure what the future holds now ”, says Sabina Harris of Harris Ranch.   “ The government has arbitrarily cancelled our valid graz...

Good morning, and welcome to day seven ... a look back at the top posts and commentaries of the week – the ones you responded to the most – starting first with a commentary from Conservative Party leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis ... #10 ... It is high time that we started making sure that our Conservative principles of opportunity for all, safety and security, and clean air, soil and water apply to EVERYONE in Canada (June 22 nd ) ... Conservatives believe in equal opportunity. Outcomes, however, are largely determined by personal effort. Those who work hard do better than those who don’t. It is our understanding of personal responsibility and equal opportunity that helps us spot when there is injustice or discrimination in our systems ... #9 ... Viability of ranching (in the Chilcotin) is based on Crown land grazing -- including millions of dollars in infrastructure on Crown land that is now in jeopardy (June 23 rd ) ... a group of ranchers in the Chilcotin region of British ...