Highway 5 North (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

BACK TO VICTORIA

Kamloops MLA Milobar focusing on highway safety and funding for schools as legislature returns

Feb 4, 2023 | 11:28 AM

KAMLOOPS — Members of the B.C. Legislature are preparing to return to Victoria on Monday (Feb. 6), for the first session of 2023. The session will begin with David Eby’s first speech from the throne as Premier.

Kamloops North-Thompson MLA Peter Milobar is expecting the NDP to rattle off promises, but will be listening for any concrete action.

“That has been the key problem with most things this government has done over the past six years. Big announcements, big spending commitments, very little in the way of actual deliverable results, very little want by this government to set out any kind of benchmark that we can judge the program by in terms of whether it is succeeding or not,” said Milobar. “We have heard six years of them saying what they would like to do, now it’s time for us to see actual meaningful action on things like housing, street disorder, crime, all those types of issues that are front and centre in peoples lives.”

Over the course of the five-week sitting, Milobar plans to speak with Transportation Minister Rob Fleming about highway safety in the region.

“Try to find a few minutes to speak with the Transportation Minister about what the heck is going on with Highway 5 North will be a big priority for me. We have seen a massive increase it seems in accidents shutting that highway down over the last couple of months. Death, injuries with no plan it seems from government. I’ve been asking for six years where is the plan for yearly safety improvements on that corridor. We haven’t seen any meaningful new work done over that six year period.,” said Milobar.

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The local MLA will also be focusing in on the education file and capital needs across SD73.

“Where are we at with the government in terms of getting those much dollars for our school district to see those schools built. We are adding a schools worth of kids every year right now and we aren’t building any new schools any time soon in the district at this point,” added Milobar.

While the NDP are not required to call an election until the Fall of 2024, Milobar isn’t prepared to take them at their word that British Columbian’s will not be heading to the polls this year.

“We are certainly ready if there is an election, I think you will see more platform type announcements from us like we just saw with our recovery plan on Thursday. That is partly to make sure the public understands what we are standing for,” said Milobar. “I think it speaks volumes about what people actually think of our Premier and his commitment to his word when no one seems to believe when he says that there wont be an election until the Fall of 2024. Everybody down here in Victoria seems to be gearing up as if there is going to be one in May of this year.”

Within the five week legislative session is the 2023 budget, which will be delivered by Minister Katrine Conroy on February 28.