B.C. Conservative leadership hopeful Sheldon Clare said being from the North gives him a unique perspective that would make him a strong party leader.
Clare, the MLA for Prince George-North Cariboo, was in Prince Rupert on Feb. 7 for a Conservative leadership campaign rally. With North Coast-Haida Gwaii one of four mainland NDP ridings outside the Vancouver metropolitan area, and having voted NDP in eight of the last nine elections, Clare said coming to the region was important.
Clare said, “for years the B.C. government have neglected the north, which would change under my leadership.”
“I think the reason that the people of the North Coast should be looking seriously at me as the leader of the Conservative Party and potentially the next premier of the province, is that I do come from the interior and the north. I understand where the money gets made and I understand how it gets spent,” said Clare.
“In driving through the north and in the interior, I can see that the damage to infrastructure over years of neglect that needs to have some attention paid to it. We need to look at the bridges up in this area. There’s at least one that needs to be twinned, and we have a few other features around here that I think need some serious attention.”
Clare added that the NDP’s fiscal mismanagement and policies have hurt B.C. residents.
“I think Conservatives generally are more favourable towards getting our economy such that everybody is going to benefit from a renewed prosperity for British Columbia. It’s pretty clear to most of us in the province that the NDP have not been successful in getting British Columbia back to work. When you’re looking at Conservative versus NDP, NDP isn’t looking like a great choice.”
“And I believe that although there are good people in all parties and they can work with all sorts of folks, the Conservative Party really does offer a lot of people who understand how to work, how to get things done, value family, value accountability and really want to work towards positive change.”
One of the biggest issues being discussed by Conservative leadership candidates is to repeal or amend the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Clare said, DRIPA has created economic uncertainty and need to be repealed to promote inclusivity and mutual respect.
“The problem we’re seeing is less and less respect and a lot more uncertainty with DRIPA. DRIPA has to go because it is causing all kinds of uncertainty for business and investment and for native people as well. With DRIPA gone, we can get back to a process where people are properly consulted and they’re heard And the best decisions for everyone concerned can be made.”
“We need to make sure that we do hear the native voices, and we make sure that they’re included. And properly recognized and respected when they are bringing about their concerns about title and that they are full economic partners where they can be.”
