Image Credit: Flickr / Government of BC

By Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Only things clear this session were John Horgan’s failures

Jun 24, 2021 | 1:21 PM

WITH THE START OF SUMMER comes the return of MLAs to their home communities, where they will work for the next few months now that the spring legislative session has adjourned. With COVID-19 restrictions slowly being eased and things getting back to ‘normal’ little by little, it sure is nice to be back in the Shuswap to hopefully see you out and about in the community — while still observing current health guidelines, of course.

We know the Shuswap is a prime destination for those who love the outdoors, and our community is thrilled to be able to host British Columbians yet again. It’s been a tough year and a half for all of us, but especially for our business and tourism operations who have suffered great financial losses due to the pandemic.

That’s why I fully expected to see a concrete plan put forward by Premier John Horgan and the NDP to get our economy back on track as we emerge from COVID-19. Unfortunately, that’s not what we got during the legislative sitting. Beyond the surprising lack of a blueprint for the path forward, we also saw the NDP botch nearly every recovery program it touched — with a flurry of mixed messaging that kept people guessing about whether they could access funds.

We’ve seen ministers scramble to revise rushed programs that were too restrictive and poorly thought-out. We’ve had ministers tell our MLAs to help our local organizations to apply for grants, only to find out they were ineligible in the first place. It would be laughable if the situation wasn’t so dire for these operators, who have been hanging on by a thread for more than a year.

The key to keeping individuals and businesses afloat is to get recovery benefits to them quickly; however the NDP failed to do that at every turn. Even today, nearly a year-and-a-half after the funds were approved, the government has gotten less than 50 per cent of its three major grant programs paid out. It’s a dismal track record and sadly, it’s just too late for many people and their livelihoods.

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

12h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How to reduce food waste in Kamloops during the festive season

18h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

Dec 12, 2024

The reality is that B.C. still has nearly 40,000 fewer full-time jobs than it did before the pandemic. Women and young people have been particularly hard hit by those job losses. Yet John Horgan and the NDP haven’t shared any plans to recover and grow those jobs, boost our economy, or make things like housing or child care more affordable.

On those two points, the NDP has failed to honour the election promises made to British Columbians. When it comes to child care, only a small fraction of families have been able to take advantage of $10-a-day daycare which John Horgan and the NDP promised would be a universal program. And while they promised to deliver 24,000 child care spaces, only 6,000 have actually been opened to date.

On housing, they promised 114,000 new units in ten years — yet in their four years of power, have only built 5,269. They’ve also abandoned their commitment of a $400 renters’ rebate.

The premier has long preached about affordability, but his lack of action so far paints a much different picture. He needs to be more honest and transparent about his government’s progress on its commitments, and he needs to provide a clear, strategic plan to move our province forward.

Anything less will be viewed as another failure of leadership.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.