“Standing up for B.C. is more than a slogan - it’s our commitment to the people of this province,” said Stephen Harper in Victoria today where he released his Stand up for British Columbia platform. “One reason Ottawa seems so out of touch with B.C. is that this province doesn’t have its fair share of representation in Parliament.”
The Conservative Party is the only party that will stand up for Canada by working with all provinces in a respectful manner and stand up for national interests. Our new plan for standing up for the interests of British Columbians includes:
- Using the repayment of illegally collected American tariffs as security for loan guarantees for affected lumber companies and ensuring adequate support for displaced forest workers and their communities;
- Introducing mandatory prison sentences for gun crimes and drug dealers;
- Investing $1 billion over ten years to fight the mountain pine beetle in B.C. forests;
- Ensuring our Navy at CFB Esquimalt and the Air Force at CFB Comox have adequate resources and equipment; and
- Offering financial assistance to Victoria to stop dumping raw sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
In the past year, the Conservative Party, representing every region of BC, has worked hard to advance the interests of British Columbians.
We have fought for BC industries by defending softwood lumber workers and producers in the on-going softwood lumber dispute. We have called for proper enforcement of federal fishing regulations to preserve salmon stocks in the Fraser and Adams Rivers and forced Ottawa to deal with the proposed Sumas II power plant in Washington State, which posed a threat to the Southern Interior’s air and water quality.
We have spoken out for victims of crime, supported Chuck Cadman’s bill to stop street-racing and opposed Liberal attempts to weaken it. The Conservatives promoted tougher sentences for illegal drug producers and distributors, particularly for crystal meth labs.
The Conservative Party is cognisant of interests that are special to BC. We have continually pressed the Liberal government not to de-staff lighthouses and to maintain the Coast Guard’s search and rescue capability. We have embraced the Pacific Gateway Initiative and called on the federal government to make genuine commitments to fund infrastructure. We have pressed CMHC to investigate how it failed to warn homeowners about potential problems with “leaky condos”. And we enthusiastically support the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
A new Conservative government will address issues important to British Columbians, they will stand up for provincial and national interests.
