B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon appeared to hit an early campaign trail in the South Cariboo last week.
Falcon said he intends to visit every part of B.C. this summer to get a sense of the issues ahead of the next B.C. election. Although it is set for 2024, Falcon predicts it could be called as early as next spring.
“I find it very valuable because it’s so important to have a government that spends the time understanding what the issues are for local folks and don’t just sit down in Victoria thinking they know all the answers when they don’t,” Falcon said. “(This) helps me to formulate policy solutions.”
Falcon previously held the health and transportation portfolios in Gordon Campbell’s Liberal government and was finance minister in Christy Clark’s government. He left politics ahead of the scheduled 2013 election, saying he wanted to spend more time with family.
That election saw Clark form a fourth straight majority B.C. Liberal government, in what was seen as an upset over then-NDP leader Adrian Dix.
During his tour of the South Cariboo last Thursday Falcon met with dozens of local people including the owners of Sitka Log Homes and David Cunningham, whose property was damaged in the Flat Lake wildfire. At Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson’s office, a dozen local residents raised concerns about health care and government mismanagement, complaining of long wait times and inefficient services.
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Falcon said the B.C. healthcare system is collapsing upon itself due to its “total inefficiencies.” Finding a way to reduce or eliminate waiting times for elective surgeries should be the government’s top priority, he said.
“I come from a private sector background and the problem with the current government is none of them has a business background and it’s really evident,” Falcon said. “They mean well but I just don’t think they know what they’re doing.”
Falcon also acknowledged several local roads including Canim-Hendrix Lake Road, Highway 24, Highway 97 and Horse Lake Road are in rough shape.
“I just think a focus on making sure those investments are being made is really important in rural B.C.,” Falcon said, adding the current government is “very urban-based and frankly they wouldn’t know Horse Lake from Canim Lake from Cariboo Connector, so it’s frustrating.”
Important infrastructure projects like roads, as well housing affordability and healthcare are priorities for the Liberals, he said. He also announced the Liberal Party is in the midst of rebranding and selecting a new name.
“I don’t want our party to be affiliated with any other party federally whether it’s Liberals, Conservatives, NDP or Greens. I want this party to be a party about British Columbia,” Falcon said. “The name creates confusion, frankly, among a lot of voters and I want to eliminate that confusion and make sure the people know the thing I care about is the interests of British Columbians.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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