M.P. Disappointed in Mayor's Move

Thursday, December 07, 2006 01:59 PM

Prince George-Peace River M.P,. Jay Hill says he is disappointed in Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley. "I thought I had a better working relationship with Colin than that."

Hill is referring to Kinsley being one of three Interior B.C. Mayors who held a news conference in Victoria earlier today. The trio indicated they haven't heard back from Ottawa on a request for money to help clear private property of beetle infested trees. The Mayors' say they sent the request to Ottawa in September, and sent a note to the Prime Minister last week.

Jay Hill says he hasn't seen any such request, nor has Cariboo-Prince George M.P. Dick Harris. Hill says he checked with the Federal Minister in charge of the beetle funds, and even he hadn't received any such request.

While the Mayors' say they need 60-70 million dollars to help private residents, Hill says there has been no outline of a plan for such a project. "I am not going to make an announcement under threat from Colin Kinsley"says Hill. He adds, any such request has to have a complete plan, and so far, he hasn't seen any such thing, nor had he been informed there would be such a request. Hill says Kinsley should have at least given him a phone call to talk about the proposal.

"Kinsley did inform my staff there would be a news conference today that I might be interested in" says Hill who believes the news conference today broadsided those who have been trying to secure funds for the region, "I don't think this is a very helpful way to proceed".

Hill says he and fellow M.P. Dick Harris, have been working with the Federal Minister in charge of the beetle funds, and the local M.L.A.'s to come up with programs that would be good for the region in the long term "The 6 of us are hopeful we can make an announcement very soon regarding projects that we call all be very proud of" says Hill.

One such project is expected to be the much anticipated funding for the runway expansion and cargo development project at the Prince George Airport. It is expected the Federal Government and Provincial Government will each contribute $11 million dollars to that $33 million dollar project. The Airport Authority has already secured an $11 million dollar loan from the Northern Development Initiatives Trust.

The Federal government has set aside $200 million dollars over the next two years to deal with the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation. That money is part of the promised $1 billion to be spent over the next ten years.

The Prince George-Peace River M.P. says there is a process to secure a share of the available funding "I don't want to throw money at projects" says Jay Hill, "Is there a need to see some progress ? Yes, Certainly we would like to see some decisions made about funding, but it is the Treasury Board that will make the final decision, and I offer no excuse for being thorough."

Hill says trying to secure the funding through the media isn't the way to do it. "If this is the way the Mayor of Prince George is going to play, I am not going to get into the game."

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Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 01:59 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on December 7 2006 5:23 PM

M.P. disappointed in the mayor's move? The only move many people in this town would approve from the mayor would be his move outa town. Not very nice, but that's the feeling I get.

Posted by: trusted on December 7 2006 5:41 PM

Obviously the so called "working" relationship is behind closed doors.
If, and I mean IF, Jay Hill is working behind the scenes to obtain additional funds for beetle killed trees to be removed, I find it hard to believe it is some kind of "top secret" request which must be accompanied with detailed plans. The dead trees are fairly obvious, even to the untrained eye.
One solution that is good for the region? Cut the trees-what else? Only one solution needed.
These politicians cannot seem to avoid putting on a show-and at times do so and make themselves look like absolute fools.
Did Kinsley actually get some kind of a jump on Hill and Harris-or is everyone getting a little buggy over a beetle?
Maybe it has something to do with 60 or 70 million? Something is in the wind!

Posted by: Chadermando on December 7 2006 6:10 PM

IMO it is classic Kinsley with lots of retoric and no plan for the retoric. I also think Jay Hill and Dick Harris have forgot about their constituents in PG and maybe needed a wake up call. They share the blame IMO.

Posted by: Runner46 on December 7 2006 6:35 PM

Hey Jay, get your head out of your butt. We have had this problem for years. Do you not read the papers or talk to your constituents? What about being proactive about a situation and suggesting something that will help the electorate?

Why are you hiding behing the holier than thou white tower refrain"I haven`t heard from anyone about this before"

Posted by: Palopu on December 7 2006 6:55 PM

The 11 Million from the Northern Development Initiative Trust, that was loaned to the Airport Authority actually came from the BC Government and is part of the money from the sale of BC Rail, eventually it will be paid back to the NDIT through the money collected by the Airport Authority through Airport Improvement Fees,(Airline passenger head tax) and hopefully used for something more constructive that this Runway Expansion.

The 11 Million that might be given to the Airport Authority from the Federal Government for the Airport runway expansion is good, however it is somewhat inane because the Airport is owned by the Federal Government and leased to the Airport Authority, so the Federal Government is in essence giving 11 Million dollars to itself for their portion of this expansion.

The other 11 Million will come from the Provincial Government (If they give it) and therefore you could say that the Provincial Government put in 22 Million dollars for an expansion to a Federal Airport, of which 11 Million will be paid back to NDIT over a period of 5/10 years.

It seems to me that this is all taxpayers money being moved about in strange and mysterious ways by our Politicians, trying to make us beleive that they are really doing a bang up job.

Posted by: Perambulating Penman on December 7 2006 8:30 PM

Kinsey, Hill and Harris...they are all a bunch of losers.

Posted by: Perambulating Penman on December 7 2006 8:31 PM

Kinsey, Hill and Harris...they are all a bunch of losers.

Posted by: Chester on December 7 2006 10:41 PM

One would think that our Mayor, our MLA's and our MP's would have sat down long before this to discuss who is willing and able to help with our Beetle problem.

It disappointments me to see people blaming each other for their lack of leadership on this issue. Seems to me that we should have had a formal meeting and request for help along time ago.

It appears winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and business building trips to China are more important. Better stay home and look after some of our more important local issues in my opinion. Chester

Posted by: REALIST on December 7 2006 10:41 PM

Forestry in the north puts five billion dollars a year into the hands of Victoria's polticians. We can't even get a losey 60-70 million of our own dollars back. I'm telling you we need to seperate from the south and let them fend for themselves. Threatening to seperate worked for Quebec why not us. Too bad it was not done in time to save our railroad from the clutches of Engulf and Devour(C.N.)tho'.

Posted by: Chadermando on December 8 2006 3:49 AM

I agree with Realist, and Palopu.

Realist you're right; we need to collect our own resource royalties for allocation in Northern BC as a stand alone province. This subsidization of southern BC for their fun and games should come to an end.

Palopu you're right; it is insane the province is paying for infrastructure that the federal government will be claiming ownership of. Maybe after the fact, Jay-nodime-Hill and Dick-nodime-Harris will want the Airport authority to apply for a committee when the Airport authority wants to open the air container port.

Posted by: Marty on December 8 2006 7:40 AM

I just assumed that the mayor, and both of the MP's had telephones....guess I was wrong, since instead of a call to chat about issues, they bitch each other out on various media sources.

When you three decide who is the KING of the sandbox...can you please come back here and let us mere tax paying citizens know please.

Thanks

Posted by: postman on December 8 2006 11:50 AM

Typical Colin Kinsley - loves to blow hard and long. Do we remember the Ghiai fiasco??? - losts of blow about that and what happened ???? Downtown revitalization, lots of talk. Air quality Colin's big committees, what happened ??? Cameron Street bridge??? Answer to all these and more is the same - zip,nada! At least he is consistant. The only thing bigger than his ego is his travel and liquid hospitality budget.

Posted by: owl on December 8 2006 5:18 PM

"Forestry in the NORTH puts five billion dollars a year into the hands of Victoria's polticians."

The government should be so lucky ....

look at page 6 of the estimates ....

Natural gas royalties - 2,277,000 and rising
Columbia River Treaty - 335,000
Other energy and minerals - 808,000
Forests - 1,083,000 and declining
Water and other resources 349,000
Total Natural Resource Revenue 4,852,000

http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2006/est/Estimates_06a.pdf

Posted by: diplomat on December 8 2006 5:51 PM

"The Mayors' say they sent the request to Ottawa in September, and sent a note to the Prime Minister last week.

Jay Hill says he hasn't seen any such request, nor has Cariboo-Prince George M.P. Dick Harris. Hill says he checked with the Federal Minister in charge of the beetle funds, and even he hadn't received any such request." End of quote.

I expect that the Mayor will clarify this matter as soon as possible, since Mr. Hill and Mr. Harris claim that they can't find any evidence of Mr. Kinsley's written mayors' request submitted in September.

As taxpayers we are entitled to find out who is relating the facts and who is not.

If Mr. Kinsley sent the letter registered (good idea to have some proof!) then the trustworthy Canadian Post should have delivered it in a timely mannner.

He also could have picked up the phone and called after a couple of weeks to inquire whether the letter was indeed received or not.

It was a matter of considerable importance.

I invite His Worship to make a post on this site in order to clear this up.

I remember when Heddy Fry claimed that she had a letter from the Mayor about "Crossburning on the lawns of Prince George" but when asked to present it she could not.

Should Mr. Hill and Harris find the mayors' September request after all I expect that they will make a public apology, of course.

Posted by: Chester on December 9 2006 9:30 AM

Our Mayor and friends seem to travel alot. Why was George Paul going to China when he is leaving his post in a few weeks? One last holiday at taxpayer expense.

Anyone scrutinizing the travelling expenses? The last thing I want to hear from this Mayor and city council is a sizable increase in taxes after the kind of travelling these folks have been doing.

It appears to me that there is a desperate plea for aid. Financial Aid. If I didn't know better, we are in financial difficulty. Chester