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| Bob Simpson, MLA for Cariboo-North |
Todd Hubner (Cariboo District Transportation Manager, Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure) was on the "hot seat" for nearly 1 hour discussing mostly the 150 Mile road upgrades as to why it was "overbuilt", how the primary contractor for the project was selected and issuance of general complaints relating to local businesses being impacted. One light moment where Cariboo RD Area 'F' Director Joan Sorley asked for a streetlight at the intersection where Likely and Horsefly Roads split off and Mr. Hubner informed Director Sorley that it was up to the Cariboo Regional District and not the Ministry of Transportation to get a streetlight installed in that location. Watch for further action on this file in the near future and I believe it would a good move as, unless you know the contour of the road at night, you'll miss the turnoff to Likely as that area is pitch black at night
Other issues that came up included:
a) Dispute over the WL Community Forest between Big Lake and City of Williams Lake -- MLA Simpson informed those assembled that the City has so far offered a 5% Grant in Aid to Big Lake, the money would most likely come from the community forest revenue. MLA Simpson committed to talking with the Minister of Forests about this as the Community Forest license has officially been contested. I suspect that this topic will be shelved until after the next BC general election as I would think Ministers do not want "hot potatoes" being blown up in their faces during the election, especially during the battle for Cariboo-North between MLA Simpson and one of his candidates, Coralee Oakes of the BC Liberal Party. I am profoundly disappointed at the City's response & actions on this file so far. I don't understand why the City is dragging their heals on this. Certainly, there is plenty of other areas the City could look at and still come out a winner...
b) Internet access issues - primarily in bulk of Cariboo RD Area 'F' area (Horsefly-Likely - Big Lake). MLA Simpson has offered to arrange a meeting with local residents' to discuss the challenges/opportunities around Internet connectivity in rural parts of Cariboo-North, specifically Horsefly/Likely/Big Lake
c) MLA Simpson to set up Mining Awareness meetings in Quesnel/Williams Lake in February of 2013
d) Re-building of sawmill in Burns Lake and how that may impact what goes in province-wide including the whole issue around appurtenancy relative to local communities in BC
e) Progress report on regulating gas prices through the BC Utilities Commission
f) Social programs and how the BC Budget will be balanced by cutting of these programs. I do agree with MLA Simpson that maybe we should look at the tax credits for Oil/Gas and either discontinue them entirely, given the billions they make or in the alternative, put a time on the tax credit to be used or it disappears for that fiscal year
g) Democratic Agenda to be put forward by the Ind. MLA's of BC -- MLA Simpson (Cariboo-North, MLA Huntingdon (Delta-South) and MLA Van Dongen (Abbotsford-South). The Agenda is to include no corporate/union donations, formation of Parliamentary Committees (rather than the Sessional Committees we have in BC's Legislature). The idea would be to have the BC NDP/BC Liberals sign off on the plan for execution in the 40th Parliament of British Columbia. One thought that MLA Simpson didn't say and I'd like to see is that all bills be given equal weight in the BC Legislature (private/government) as to allow MLA's, on Private Members' Bills, to express their own view on them and not subject to government control This idea already works well in the Federal House of Commons
This was a good meeting and good discussion by those who attended :)
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