James Here to Voice Displeasure With Proposed Reduction in Rural MLA's

By 250 News

L-R: Robin Austin  Skeena MLA; Carole James, NDP Leader; Gary Coons, North Coast MLA, chat outside Prince George Civic Centre  

Prince George, B.C. -  Provincial New Democrat Leader, Carole James finds herself in a very rare position today.  She and Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell are in agreement on an issue.

 Both James and Campbell are concerned about the recommendations by the Electoral Boundaries Commission which would reduce the number of rural MLA’s.  James says she hopes there are many voices saying the same thing “Whether it’s the Premier or my self or whether its people across B.C. saying lets not lose those rural seats.”

James was in Prince George this afternoon  to  spread the word  that her party is not happy  with the  recommended  loss of  rural  reps throughout  B.C. “The issue isn’t about what the lines look like or what the ridings look like, that’s up  to the Boundary Commission to make that decision.  It is  an independent Commission and we expect that they will look carefully  at what the ridings actually look like, but to  see a loss of  rural  representation, whether it is the North, the Interior or the Kooteneys, to lose those  voices is going in the wrong direction.”

But James isn’t staying for the actual hearing that gets underway at 6:30 this evening at the Coast Inn of the North, she is leaving that up to Skeena MLA Robin Austin, who is the NDP’s Rural Issues critic, and Gary Coons, North Coast MLA.  The two are also expected to  attend the pre-hearing rally that wil get underway at 5:00 at the Civic Centre Square.

James says she will wait until the MLA’s session with the Boundary Commission to present their case “I think its important for this to be a public voice, we’re here to listen. It’s up to the public now to have their say.  The Boundaries Commission is holding hearings around the province and I certainly will be encouraging people to get involved and be heard by the Commission.”

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