Victoria, BC - BC Green Party Interim-Leader, Adam Olsen sent an open letter to Premier Christy Clark today requesting the British Columbia government remove the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) from the current core review and reaffirm
its support the modernization of the Commission that has been on-going for the past three years.
Specifically Olsen requests the Premier to,
1. Remove the uncertainty. Take the ALC out of the current core review process and commit to completing the implementation of the recommendations from the 2010 core review,
2. Commit to the ALC boundary review process. Engage local citizens and stakeholders when reviewing the relevance of the ALR boundaries,
3. Invest in enforcement. Increase the capacity of the ALC to enforce their jurisdiction to ensure the appropriate activities are occurring on agricultural land, and
4. Should you wish to have broader discussion about the future of the Commission, do so with a clear and concise plan that includes public input at the outset of the process.
“British Columbians are very concerned about the future of the Agricultural Land Commission and Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR),” said Adam Olsen, Interim-Leader of the BC Green Party. “The ALC has been working very hard to make their operations more effective and efficient, they have been on a good path and the government rewarded them in Budget 2013. I hope the Premier reaffirms the commitment they have made earlier this year and removes the Commission from the current core review process.”
The recent developments in the media regarding the Minister of Agriculture, Pat Pimm and secret cabinet documents released last week by Globe & Mail reporter Mark Hume has caused confusion, fear and has eroded the public confidence that the provincial government is committed to a fair and transparent process regarding the future of the ALR.
“On October 3rd, Chair of the Finance and Government Services committee, Dan Ashton, on behalf of the government, committed to giving the public ample opportunity to provide input on potential changes to the Commission,” said Olsen. “Unfortunately, the government has not clearly identified the opportunities for public input and the secret cabinet documents suggest the government is prepared to proceed without proper public engagement and stakeholder consultation.”
-30-
For more information contact:
Adam Olsen
Interim-Leader, BC Green Party
250-889-7678
[email protected]