After 17 weeks, and lots of time spent commuting between Cariboo-Chilcotin and Victoria, the spring legislative session came to a close at the beginning of the month.
It was a busy time, full of lively debates on legislation, spirited question periods, and engaging meetings. As always, I loved having the opportunity to advocate for the needs of people in the Cariboo to government in Victoria.
That is the whole point of our representative democracy — that MLAs can hear directly from people on the ground and bring their questions and concerns to government. For me, ensuring the voices and needs of my constituents are heard in Victoria will always be my number one priority.
This session, there were so many critical issues and concerns brought forward from constituents. People are worried about rising gas prices and unaffordability. They are concerned that groceries are getting more expensive and housing is difficult to find. I also heard from people frustrated by the NDP’s removal of the secret ballot, and of course, government’s foolish decision to spend a billion dollars on a museum no one asked for. All the more discouraging in light of the NDP’s inability to address the ongoing health care crisis.
In every corner of our province, people are struggling. There is no shortage of issues that people, and Opposition MLAs like myself, are calling on this government to address. But unfortunately, the NDP is failing to take action. Government has repeatedly failed to take real steps to lower gas prices, despite many question periods where our Official Opposition called on them to act. They have consistently dodged questions about the dire state of health care. And instead of taking action to address the growing issue of prolific offenders and rising crime in our communities, the NDP hired a panel to write a report about the issue.
As the session drew to a close, it became clearer than ever that this NDP government is simply out of touch with issues truly impacting British Columbians. They spend so much time talking about working for people, but have done nothing to show they are capable of following through. The simple truth is that people deserve better. They deserve a government that understands and actually addresses the challenges they face every day. One that doesn’t just say they are working to make life better, but takes the steps needed to make it a reality.
newsroom@100milefreepress.net
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