News Release - February 15, 2007
VICTORIA - Malahat-Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan called this week's B.C. Liberal Throne Speech a flip flop of Olympic proportion.
The Speech from the Throne is read at the beginning of each year's Legislative session, and outlines the direction the Government plans for the coming year.
"This is the same Premier who cancelled numerous environmental programs when he came to power, who said the Kyoto Accord was not a priority, and who said climate change was not a priority," said Horgan. "I guess the polls have had an effect."
"Last year we heard a grand commitment to health care. But the result was continuing waiting lists for surgeries and administrative chaos," said Horgan. "This year it is the important issue of climate change. I just hope we get better results from the government on this issue than we did on health care. It seems the Premier is driven more by the headlines than a desire to actually solve the problems.
"The first page of the speech says we are in a ‘time for partnership not partisanship'," continued Horgan. "I agree, and so do my constituents. But instead of calling on all Members of the Legislature to find solutions to climate change, the B.C. Liberals will appoint friends and insiders to address the issue."
As startling as the flip flop on climate change was, Horgan said the speech was also silent on a host of issues of importance to Malahat-Juan de Fuca.
"There was no mention of the need for transit and transportation improvements on the lower Island, no mention of the Malahat mess and the need for alternatives for commuters, no explanation of the massive land give-away to Western Forest Products, and no plan to protect programs for our most vulnerable," Horgan said.
"On the education front the B.C. Liberals announced a deluge of changes and additional cost pressures for parents and school boards. Local boards will be swamped by new demands from the Province and no resources to match the demands," Horgan said.
"The coming legislative session will be an opportunity for me to raise issues of importance to my constituents. I am really looking forward to it," Horgan concluded.
- 30 -
