Help is on the way for British Columbians

BY JOHN HORGAN

 Premier-Designate

 

LAST May British Columbians voted for a new kind of leadership, leadership that works for ordinary people, not just those at the top. Now, after weeks of delay and distraction from Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals, help is on the way.

It isn’t going to be easy to reverse 16 years of bad choices and B.C. Liberal neglect, but families are depending on us. I can’t wait to get started.

That’s why, in less than two weeks, on July 18, the new government of B.C. will be sworn in. We have a tremendous amount of work to do.

We are going to hit the ground running, to address the things that matter to people.

First and foremost, we’re going to act to make life more affordable for British Columbians. That means getting rid of unfair tolls that punish people for living in Surrey and other suburban communities.

And we’re going to work hard to get people moving, by working with community leaders to invest in transit and transportation projects so that drivers can spend less time stuck in traffic and more time with their families.

We committed to British Columbians that we would deliver the services they need. And we are going to deliver.

That’s why we will get to work immediately with school districts to ensure that our children get the supports they need to get the education they deserve. An entire generation of children was robbed of opportunities by Christy Clark’s war on public education. We’re going to fix it, so kids from every background have the chance to succeed.

As part of my plan to create and protect jobs across B.C., I’m personally going to roll up my sleeves and get to work on getting a fair softwood lumber deal for British Columbians. That means ensuring that our interests are represented at the table.

And, more than that, I’m going to put government to work on developing more domestic demand for B.C. wood, and working with businesses, workers and communities to expand manufacturing of engineered wood products, like the wood that was used to build the tallest wood building in the world at UBC. There is more the government can do to support jobs in B.C. using B.C. wood and we’re going to make it a priority.

We’re also going to work to repair and replace the infrastructure people rely on, like schools, hospitals, and roads, in communities across the province. Our children shouldn’t be left to go to school in buildings that are at risk of collapsing in an earthquake, and our elders shouldn’t be waiting in hospital hallways for health care.

These are just a few of the ways that my government will work to serve B.C. families. I know that people have been waiting for too long for a government that takes their problems seriously. Finally, after years of neglect, help is on the way. You can depend on it.