Kamloops South BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger is, "Way over the line" with comments regarding the BC Conservatives.

Late yesterday afternoon, Kamloops South Thompson BC Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger, launched a verbal attack on BC Conservatives.

The following is a media release, sent out by BC Conservative candidate Peter Sharp, in reponse:

KAMLOOPS: Yesterday, BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins called on Premier Christy Clark to suspend Pat Bell, the controversial Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, from the Executive Council.

Peter Sharp in media scrum, following election as the
Kamloops South Thompson BC Conserrvative candidate

"We asked this because there have been allegations made in public, and through a CBC news report that he was involved in “breached protocols, broken promises and misrepresentation” with regards to the proposed Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George", stated Kamloops South Thompson BC Conservative Party candidate Peter Sharp.

Sharp continued, "At no time did we state that he 'was' involved, only that allegations have been made, that should be examined and looked in to."

BC Conservatives, and all residents of the Kamloops area, should have real concern with the response of current Kamloops South Thompson MLA, and former Cabinet Minister, Kevin Krueger.

Sharp went on to say, "His comments are completely unacceptable behavior for an MLA!  He went way over the line with his caustic comments aimed at all members of our party -- not just the leadership."

"In fact, using an official government MLA email account, to hurl these insults at people who are some of his constituents, could be looked at as further arrogance by a party already being questioned by the electorate for it's integrity and accountability."

"If there is any silver lining to this whole situation, it is only that with the retirement of MLA Krueger, the people of our province will no longer be subjected to this kind of bullying.", Sharp concluded.

CONTACT:
Peter Sharp, candidate

BC Conservative Party

Kamloops South Thompson

 

 

The following is a full & complete copy of the email sent by Kevin Krueger:

From: Krueger.MLA, Kevin <Kevin.Krueger.MLA@leg.bc.ca <mailto:Kevin.Krueger.MLA@leg.bc.ca> >
Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 4:01 PM
Subject: The Honourable Pat Bell

To: "conservatives@bcconservative.ca" <conservatives@bcconservative.ca>, "Krueger.MLA, Kevin" <Kevin.Krueger.MLA@leg.bc.ca <mailto:Kevin.Krueger.MLA@leg.bc.ca> >


Attention: B.C. Cons:

Mr. Cummins, and everybody involved in this news release, are "Unmitigated" MORONS to have published such crap as this.

Pat Bell is beloved in Prince George, for good reason. There is not ONE of you scum worthy to tie his shoes - nor tall enough.

You have just blown whatever support you might have hoped to muster in Prince George, and many other places.

What idiots you are.
Kevin Krueger, MLA

 

Original media release from the BC Conservative Party:

Suspend Bell and expand investigation, Cummins

LANGLEY, BC, FEB. 26, 2013 – John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservatives, today called on Premier Christy Clark to suspend Pat Bell, the controversial Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, from the Executive Council.

The call follows reports by CBC News alleging that Bell, the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, was involved in “breached protocols, broken promises and misrepresentation” with regards to the proposed Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George.

Cummins also said that the Premier should expand the mandate of Jane Shackell, Q.C., the “fairness advisor” retained to oversee the bid process for the Wood Centre, so she can investigate the CBC News allegations.

“Pat Bell has been involved in one controversy after another under the current Premier,” said Cummins. “From botching a deal for the BC Place Stadium naming rights, to wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on television advertisements extolling his failed Jobs Plan, to inappropriately sending confidential emails to a lobbyist, to the Wood Centre in Prince George, he’s been an unmitigated disaster.”

The CBC News reports were based on allegations by two Prince George-area business men who claim they were not short-listed for the Wood Centre project, despite earlier discussions with Bell and other BC Liberal government representatives.


UPDATE:While not an apology, I'm glad to Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger indicating that perhaps he had a poor choice of words in his attack on the BC Conservatives 
http://www.cknw.com/news/vancouver/story.aspx/story.aspx?ID=1899792

Will there be more for the next generation, of people in these communities, other than low and minimum pay tourism jobs?

For many living in northern BC … in particular the Burns Lake and Prince George areas, a story in today’s Province newspaper has to remind them of the vulnerability of living and working in small and rural BC communities.

I just returned, on the weekend, from an annual motorcycle trip I take each year with my brother.  Part of the trip took us along the northern coast of Washington State.  Sadly … I saw MANY sawmills in small communities that were shuttered and closed.

In some the equipment was totally removed; while some, long-neglected, remarkably still  had the equipment in them.

We've already seen many sawmills closed here in BC as well.

So the question becomes, “How can we keep jobs available for our small rural communities, and yet still ensure that we do not over harvest?”

Perhaps we have sadly become so efficient in our saw-milling processes that 'small town' BC is only going to be needed, to log the resources, to send them to an ever shrinking number of mega-sawmills.

Even then however, those logging jobs are ever shrinking through on-going mechanization that has been underway for decades.

Is there a balance to be found? … can we retain the jobs needed so that small northern, and interior, communities are able to survive and grown? … will there be more for the next generation, of people in these communities, other than low and minimum pay tourism jobs?

I’m not sure what the answer is, but I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. 

Meantime, here’s the story that ran, as I mentioned, in today’s edition of the Province newspaper, “MLAs aren't facing the truth: B.C. forests are tapped out”

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the questions of one conservative. 


RESPONSE ... well I did ask for your thoughts and comments, and I did receive one from Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad.  Here is what he had to say:

This article makes a number of assumptions that are plain and simply wrong. First, marginally economic stands: in Williams Lake, companies are operating in stands with volume as low as 85 cubic metres per hectare. In the Lakes TSA that number is 140. If we partition off volume between 100 and 140, the Lakes TSA can sustain an additional cut of 380,000 cubic metres annually.

Companies can do this in other areas so why not in the lakes? In addition, by partitioning this volume, companies would actually have to operate in this type of wood to gain the volume. They can't use it to leverage taking additional wood from better quality stands.

Second, fertilization is something we're already doing in BC. Other jurisdictions have been very successful with their programs and the committee's recommendations is to look at this and beef up a program in BC. Growing more fibre and capturing more value from it is the key to our forestry future.

Finally, many supply areas treat old growth management areas as NON-SPATIAL. In the Lakes TSA, they are defined spatially which is what creates the reduction in the supply. So if a spatial OGMA gets hit by a fire, pest or another issue, does it still have OLD GROWTH values?

These types of stands are now called DOGMAs or Dead OGMAs. Non-spatial OGMAs allow for the targets and goals of these areas to be met over a supply area rather than a specific spot. But keep in mind that the committee isn't recommending doing this. Rather, do a scientific review and then provide that information to the local LRMP group for their review and recommendation.

The committee's report tried to provide a sign-post towards a shift in forest management. This shift works towards higher levels of silviculture investments, growing more fibre and growing more value. It's the right direction to go which is also why it was unanimously supported.