PRINCE GEORGE – The new BC Conservative Party MLA for Prince George-North Cariboo Sheldon Clare has identified four of what calls his “key priorities” to tackle when government is set to resume in February.
Transportation, health care, the economy, and agriculture are issues that have been front and centre of the province for some time.
“Perhaps the problem is where the focus is because the focus tends to be away from the nether regions.”
Clare says what will be uppermost on his radar this coming session will be the economy, in particular labour relations, mine permitting, and economic development. And he cites one local development in particular as needing attention. The Tidewater bio-diesel operation.
“Because right now it can’t compete with biodiesel fuel provided from the United States because of the double subsidy that they get both from the States and from the Province,” says Clare. “And we think that the NDP should support this because the whole biodiesel thing is very much something on their radar.”
The Private Member’s Bill is being introduced by MLA Kiel Giddens. It would equalize the two credits.
And with regular hospital closures throughout the North, it’s not surprising that health care is one of the four pillars of Clare’s priority list for the year.
“We have problems with health care, recruiting and retaining doctors and nurses especially is a significant problem.”
However, one issue that did not make the list is something that affects communities around the province.
“We have a huge problem with crime and fentanyl that we need to be addressing. And this is affecting our health care system directly as well as it overloads emergency rooms.”
The Legislature resumes sitting on February 18.
