Preparation for Spring Session
February 13 2008

I will be returning to the Legislature on February 12th, but in preparation for the new Legislative session I have tried to provide opportunities to hear your concerns.  I appreciate that many of you took the time to meet with me.

Throughout the constituency, I have met with seniors in special forums, with senior association executives and individually, and I have heard over and over that seniors are still being left behind.  Promised services have not materialized, and too many seniors in their last days are being forced to live in conditions that are simply not acceptable. 

I will be working with individual seniors and their families to find a resolution to their issues.  I will also continue to pressure the government to make the systemic changes needed to improve the care that all seniors receive.

During my time in the constituency I also met with a number of groups working to develop affordable housing and eliminate homelessness.  Community groups and local governments are working together to find a solution, but without a serious commitment from both the federal and provincial governments, a comprehensive strategy can not be fully implemented.

In the same way that the Opposition has put forward real solutions to seniors’ issues and the crisis in forestry, we are developing a provincial strategy for housing and homelessness.  I am looking forward to having the Opposition Critic for Homelessness David Chudnovsky visit the area to share our housing plan.

I also met with a number of constituents who are very concerned about the development of independent power projects (IPPs) on creeks and rivers across British Columbia, including a number of projects in the area.  I recommend that you watch a short video about an IPP in the Squamish area; the video can be found by googling ’49 Megawatts’.  We all need to learn more about IPPs so that we can make an informed decision about whether or not this is the right way to proceed.

Seniors care, housing and IPPs are all issues that were brought to me because people care about the type of society we live in.  People in this area care enough to be engaged in the political process and I am pleased to be able to support their efforts on these issues and many others.