On Friday, B.C. NDP leadership candidate John Horgan (MLA for Juan de Fuca) was at the Omega Restaurant in Grand Forks to meet and talk to residents.
He says that inclusion in the Columbia Basin Trust is one of the things that concern locals.
“One of the issues that’s brought me to Grand Forks is to talk about expanding the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), to include the Boundary country,” he explains.
Horgan was one of the “point people” for former Premier Mike Harcourt in the mid ‘90s when the CBT was created to promote social, economic and environmental well-being for those in the Columbia River Basin.
“I’m here to talk to members about what they think about that, and whether we should expand the (CBT) to include Grand Forks. I know people here feel strongly about it and I’m looking forward to hearing about it.”
He says that the biggest issue on the minds of British Columbians in general is the economy.
“The rural economy is always at risk in British Columbia based on commodity prices and I think that, as I’ve been traveling around, whether it’s in the northwest, interior, Kootenays or even here in the Boundary, people are concerned about jobs, families supporting jobs and how they’re going to make ends meet,” Horgan explains.
“I believe I can speak with industry; I’ve been the energy critic for five years. I’ve talked to the forest sector, mining sector, I understand the economy. I believe that when I talk to British Columbians, they have a good sense, a good confidence that I’m going to be able to try to and help the economy grow and try and make their lives a little bit easier.”
He says he approves of recent minimum wage hikes announced by the provincial government and gives credit to Premier Christy Clark and it is overdue but he still has some issues with the wage increases.
“It still leaves us, after 10 years, with the lowest minimum wage in the country. I think to get to $10 as quickly as possible, is the right way to go and then we have to link that to the cost of living,” Horgan says.
“We can take the politics out of the minimum wage, that’s what I believe the public would want and certainly low-earning British Columbians want to get a bit of a raise. We’ve had a lot of raises for politicians, mid-level and senior managers, it’s high time our lowest paid workers get a raise as well.” As to what sets him apart from other candidates, like Adrian Dix and Mike Farnworth,
Horgan couldn’t resist the urge to crack wise about his fellow NDPers.
“I’m taller than Adrian and I’m faster than Mike Farnworth,” he jokes.
“I got into this race not because I have any doubts or concerns about the capabilities of my colleagues but because I believe I have a set of skills that will resonate with a broader audience, not just within the NDP but all British Columbians.”
Video of John Horgan can be seen here.