May 9th 2017 – may seem like a long time in the future – but the plans for a provincial election are in the planning stages with the BC Liberals – wanting to rally the troops.

Linda Larson MLA, Boundary Similkameen says she talked with Premier Christy Clark yesterday who asked “are you with me?” – Yes being the answer. She will run again. Living up to a promise more than two years ago that she would let people know about half way through her term of office.

Larson has been plagued by one issue in the two years she has served – the question of a National Park in the South Okanagan/Similkameen. It has weighed heavy – but she is a strong fighter and feisty to boot.

MLA Larson took the opportunity of an annual meeting of her riding association to speak to that issue and more importantly to the critics – many inside her own party.

“More than a year ago, there appeared to be enough interest in a National Park that I asked Environment Ministry Mary Polak to begin a consultative process – meeting with Aboriginal/Indigenous (First Nations)
groups and the Yes and No sides. Then the provincial government asked the people to participate in an internet based survey of ideas.”

That process, says Larson is finished. Larson says it was not a “yes or no” poll but a consultative process.

“No one lobby group or organization is going to get 100% of what they want.”

Larson says the minister will look for “common threads” – or points of direction in which to move on.

Both sides, she says, must show respect for the decisions made by the government. “I will not be bullied.”

Her parting thought to critics – “the decisions on what type of conservation is done in the South Okanagan is not top of mind for the rest of the province….for those who believe that my future or the future of the party rests on this issue alone – give your head a shake.”

She called it ludicrous to state that funding for the party and the next election fight will centre in on this issue alone.

Larson said $7.8 million was invested by the province in the region in the last 12 months – with the Okanagan Correctional Centre the biggest provincial project ever in the South Okanagan.

(Disclaimer: Jack Bennest attended the meeting as a paid up member. He was told he could report on the speech but not on other party business addressed that afternoon.)