The provincial election was certainly interesting. I suspect that there are a few polling companies left scratching their heads, let alone the political pundits that got it wrong, to put it mildly.
To those candidates that tried to distance themselves from their leader when things looked grim ,I say shame on you. In my mind you follow the process, pick a leader, then do what is right and support them. No waffling to the press when you think it will be good for you personally. Get a backbone in life, and stand-up for what is right even if it is the apparently unpopular side of the fence.
If things need to be changed, use the process and change them. Do not go around whining and trying to curry favour with your local electorate by saying whatever comes to mind. Blind dedication is not what is needed, but intelligent, thoughtful and continuous support for your leader, your party, and your platform will win every time. The results prove that out.
I am told that in local politics a person should not choose sides when other orders of government have their elections. The theory is, that if you support one candidate and another wins it will be hard to work with them. In addition to this, as a local politician you end up alienating those residents that vote for the party you did not support. I find this interesting on a number of levels.
I consider that voters are an intelligent group. They can distinguish the difference between local issues and federal or provincial issues. The person they choose to make decisions about how their town is run, has very different skill sets and responsibilities than the people they choose to represent them at the provincial and federal tables.
At those levels there are indeed several political parties with different views and policies covering much more than which road to plow first in the winter. In fact some people vote Liberal provincially and Conservative federally. They do this because no matter the label of the party the voter is looking for a candidate and a party that have the same ideals and values as they do.
So here it is folks, I supported the provincial party that won. That would be the Liberals and our local MLA, Dr. Terry Lake. I believe that Terry and his team are the ones that can work with our local government to bring our little portion of the planet forward. The Liberal’s platform of supporting local government to aggressively recruit investors and grow the local economy, thereby allowing progressive economic growth throughout the province, matches what I want to see happen here in Barriere and the North Thompson Valley.
At any level of government the key is to learn from past mistakes, but do not dwell on them. Look forward, act positively in everything that is attempted, and have a sustainable plan for our communities. Have the fortitude and conviction to make positive decisions, and stand by them. Do not bend to the vocal few, but rather be the voice of the majority. Work with others, and retain your own beliefs while doing so.
I am appalled at the actions of some in our community. They go on and on with their views of what happened in the past, with little regard to the truth or the consequences of their statements. One such rant is around the delay in the transfer of the Tolko lands to the District of Barriere. It has been inferred that this was due to inaction on the part of the Liberal government and our local MLA. This is patently not true and those that give this view are showing their ignorance of the process involved. While I personally believe the process of land transfer needs a radical overhaul, it is the process in place, and as a result it needs to be followed. Going forward with the help of Terry Lake and the various provincial ministries involved, this issue will be resolved sooner than later.
Thanks to all that voted in the provincial election. Many thanks to all the candidates for stepping up to the plate and giving us a choice.