VICTORIA, B.C. – Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley and B.C. Greens spokesperson for the environment, responded today to the passage of the Professional Governance Act at Third Reading.
“After years of advocacy and engagement it is encouraging to finally see this legislation complete and awaiting Royal Assent,” said Furstenau.
“The value of our natural resources should always benefit our communities, but in light of situations like Mount Polley, the public has sometimes been left wondering if that is always the case. British Columbia needs a resource management model that all British Columbians can trust. Establishing public trust at the outset will give businesses greater certainty so that their projects can be completed in a timely and cost-effective manner. This legislation marks an important step towards creating a model that fully reflects the economic, ecological, and social values of our province.”
The Professional Governance Act is a direct response to the first two recommendations of Mark Haddock’s Professional Reliance Report, which was published this June following an independent review of the professional reliance model. This review was a B.C. Green platform policy initiative, later committed to by the B.C. Greens and the B.C. NDP in the Confidence and Supply Agreement. The process leading up to this legislation was informed by widespread stakeholder engagement.
Furstenau added that there is more work to be done to fully action the remaining 119 recommendations of the Haddock report.
“Moving forward I urge the government to enact this legislation, and to implement the remaining recommendations from the Haddock report, with continued thorough stakeholder consultation. This includes industry, professionals, regulators, Indigenous groups, communities, environmental organizations, and more. We need a professional reliance model that we can rely on; one that is transparent and accountable to the people it serves.”
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