Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

May 5th, 2008

Macdonald challenges the Minister of Energy to come to the Kootenays and defend the BC Energy Plan

In the House this morning, Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald responded to the following Liberal motion:

Be it resolved that this House support the concept of independent power projects to help achieve electricity self-sufficiency in British Columbia by 2016 through continuing to support environmentally-friendly run-of-river hydroelectric projects as it has for two decades.

In his response, Macdonald promoted the right of local residents to make decisions and challenged the Minister of Energy to come to the Kootenays to speak directly with rural residents. 

N. Macdonald: The implementation of this disastrous energy plan depends entirely on escaping the scrutiny of an informed public and by removing the rights of local government to make decisions.  I can tell you that the people in the Kootenays do not accept the denial of their democratic rights.

                        If this government is able to stand in front of a group and convince them that it is the right thing to do, then they should come and try to do that.  The Minister of Energy can come to the Kootenays.  He can get in front of a crowd there and explain to them how it makes any sense at all.

                        He will not be able to do it.  He won’t do it.  This House very deliberately removed the rights of local government so that he wouldn’t have to.

                        Every single NDP MLA believes in democratic rights for rural people, but the BC Liberals don’t.  Everything gets decided by one person, by the Premier, and if any local people want to say anything about it, the Liberals claim that it is just the rabble that show up at meetings.

How dismissive of local democracy!  This is a disastrous policy and it will only go ahead if local people are removed from decision-making.