Green candidate Richard Jaques (centre) talks with supporters Saturday. Photo 250 News

Prince George, B.C. – The Green Party has opened the Prince George campaign office of candidates Richard Jaques (Cariboo-Prince George) and Elizabeth Biggar (Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies).

Biggar was not on hand for the opening of the office at 1385 Third Avenue as she was meeting an earlier commitment to walk from Fort St. John to Dawson Creek to create awareness around climate refugees.  Jaques, however, was there to address supporters and said “I look forward to a robust campaign.”

“We’ve had a couple of debates so far.   (Independent candidate) Sheldon (Clare) and I showed up and the other candidates did, except one.  Mr. Doherty has not managed to poke his head into any of our debates yet.” “He may think he has the incumbent factor but he’s not the incumbent.  You have to earn this position, you have to earn the trust of these people in this community.”

“Bill C-51 is another huge debate that’s coming up at CNC.”  “It’s going to be a robust event, I can assure you that.  It’s not good law and it should not be there at all.”

His key issues in the campaign are safe pipelines, forestry concerns such as allowable cuts and the federal government’s failure to deliver on its billion-dollar promise to deal with beetle kill, the Mt. Polley tailings pond spill and a need to get rid of tuitions for post-secondary education.

Jaques says “other things moving forward, in this riding especially, I’m in it to win it, I’m not leaving anywhere.  I think after October 19^th this office will likely stay open because I believe that we will likely win this riding.”