MLA Report

By Carole James, MLA

As I look back at the Spring Legislative session, I'm proud of the work we've done as the Official Opposition, both in holding the government to account for their failures as well as steps we've taken to offer a positive vision for the people of our province.

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on some of our activities both inside and outside the Legislature.

Key Victories During The Session:

Throughout the session, our team achieved some key victories on behalf of the public in the Legislature:

• Forced the government to publish a list of items and services affected by the HST

• Made them backtrack on funding cuts to Success by 6, which provides vital early learning programs for our children

• Succeeded in one more year of funding for the program Communication Assistance for Youth and Adults

• Pressured the government to improve transparency and accountability at BC Ferries

• Insisted that the government assure Legion Branch 127 had a secure tenancy on Superior Street

• Forced the government to provide a full accounting of all Olympic Tickets used by Liberal MLAs and cabinet ministers

• Made the government honour its commitment to fund the employer portion of the Community Social Services Pension plan

Offering Positive Solutions In The Legislature:

I'm pleased to report about a campaign finance reform bill that I put forward in May, one of many important pieces of legislation our team put forward during the session. The Campaign Finance Reform Act would change the way BC's political parties are financed and it puts citizens back at the centre of our democracy.

Under my proposed legislation, individual British Columbians will contribute to political parties; institutions will not. This bill will take big money out of politics and put BC back on the leading edge of democratic renewal. And I've called on the government to put aside partisan politics and take up this opportunity to implement these reforms as a critical first step toward restoring public confidence in our democratic system.

Another example of our positive proposals was the Species at Risk Protection Act put forward by our neighbouring Victoria - Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming. This bill offered much needed legal tools to ensure that BC's threatened wildlife, from grizzly bears to burrowing owls, are finally protected - and received support from various renowned environmental organizations.

The endangered species legislation comes at a crucial moment for BC's globally renowned, but increasingly endangered wildlife.  The BC NDP's Species at Risk Protection Act offers a balanced approach to protecting endangered wildlife, through voluntary stewardship activities while taking into account the socio-economic considerations related with its implementation.

Reaching Out, Building A Positive Vision:

While we continue to hold the government accountable for its actions, we're also committed to providing a clear, progressive alternative - one that will unite and inspire British Columbians.

How do we build a strong, vibrant and green economy that creates jobs and generates the wealth to provide a higher standard of living and quality social programs for all British Columbians? How do we build a vision for our province that helps grow our economy, fight climate change, protect public services and support our communities?

Launched on April 30 in Vancouver with a leaders' summit, 'Our Province, Our Future' is an initiative I launched to engage British Columbians in a dialogue on these and other questions.

By asking citizens, business leaders, communities and people from all walks of life to participate in this dialogue, we'll bring about a focused discussion of change, of practical solutions to address the unique challenges and opportunities of BC.  On June 22, we hosted the first regional summit of the initiative in Kamloops.

But this is only the beginning. We will be holding regional and sectoral forums to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the initiative and participate in the dialogue, visit: .

As always, I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to visit my community office or contact me at carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca.