BC Conservatives have clearly articulated positions that don't change depending on what loud vocal minority group is shouting

Everyone knows, and it is perfectly clear, that I do not support Christy Clark and the BC Liberals.

My lack of support has only been re-enforced in the recent days and weeks, as it seems that Christy blows one way or the other, in the breezes of voter discontent.

Shall we start with Enbridge and the Northern Gateway Pipeline? Clark herself has never really made a firm decision on the Northern Gateway … in fact the 5 principles she placed as crucial to having government support can NEVER be met – and she knew it at the time.

Ms. Clark simply wanted to try and make herself look good to anyone with an opinion on the project, whether they support it or not. By taking no stand however, she has pleased NO ONE.

She wants those who don't support the pipeline to think she is on-board with them … and she wants those who do support the project to think they just might have a chance to see it come about.

Meantime, she knows full well that the five principles she has put forward can never be met, and therefore the project will never get off the drawing board.

Contrast that however, to the statements of John Cummins, and the BC Conservative Party.

As CFTK TV News in Terrace stated today, “At least one political leader in BC is willing to express support for Enbridge's controversial Northern Gateway Project” --- that ONE leader would be John Cummins of the BC Conservative Party.

In a media release today, John Cummins said that unlike Premier Clark AND Environment Minister Terry Lake, he WAS willing to meet with Enbridge officials to see what their plans look like for building and maintaining the safest pipeline possible, and to see in person what monitoring systems they have in place at other locations.

Cummins stated that the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project had economic benefits far outweigh environmental concerns.

"Given all of the information made public to date, I strongly believe that the Northern Gateway Pipeline should proceed as quickly as possible. British Columbia desperately needs new capital investment, and new high-wage jobs. The Northern Gateway Project delivers both”.

And little wonder … this project alone would provide as many as 4,100 person-years of direct on-site work, and a total of 35,000 person-years employment throughout the province.

Environment Minister Terry Lake on the other hand, in a TV news interview which I saw, refuses to meet with officials from Enbridge, who have offered to show him what the technology they will be working with. 

AND YET ... he has the audacity to claim and state (which I have also seen and heard) in the media, that Enbridge will not provide the government with the environmental and safety information they wish to have on the project.

As John Cummins has said, and I agree with his comments, "Enbridge wants to invest billions of dollars in BC – I cannot think of any good reason why Ms. Clark would refuse to meet them."

Just to be clear however … support by the BC Conservative Party, for major development projects is not without clear goals that must be met. Therein lies the difference however – the goals of the BC Conservative Party are clearly stated – whereas those of the BC Liberals Party seem to constantly shift and move.

As I said the other day … the BC Conservative Party believes in the protection and management of our environment and natural resources to optimize benefits now and into the future.

And the party – and it's members – also believes and recognizes that BC’s diverse environmental assets are the envy of much of the world and should be preserved and protected, and that environmental and fiscal sustainability and optimization should be the hallmark of a government’s policy.

There's the main difference between BC Liberals and BC Conservatives.

BC Conservatives realize there always has been a balance that must be met between putting safeguards in place to protect the environment – while at the same time ensuring we have new up-coming resource projects.

And those projects are what provides a huge number of British Columbian's with good paying jobs that will allow them to have and raise a family … and that also provides the financial resources needed for the services we all expect to have.

BC Conservatives have clearly articulated positions that don't change depending on what loud vocal minority group is shouting.

BC Conservative policies will be based on what is needed to make out province a place we all want to live, work, and raise a family in. That doesn't mean relaxing any environmental safeguards – it only means having ones in place that make sense – and are based on fact, not emotion.

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative. The invitation is now out to you to share your thoughts on this.