Dear Editor:
It's an election year, and the B.C. Liberals are trailing in the polls. They look like they're finally going to be beaten in an election.
Our brave media asks if the Liberals will enact a particularly polarizing policy if elected, and the premier responds that the policy isn't being considered in any way, shape or form.
Less than a year later, the policy is enacted, much to the shock of the province. No, this is not 2009 and the HST.
This is happening right now, and the topic this time is the Agricultural Land Commission, which is slated to become part of the provincial government instead of being an independent commission.
According to Minister Bill Bennett, the ALC has been too rigid in its mandate of protecting agricultural land.
I'm certainly not an expert in how public agencies should act in the pursuit of their mandate, but I have never once heard of an organization that was criticized for being too rigid in its duties. Instead we're told that we should trust the Oil and Gas Commission to handle land use decisions. That should end well.
Once again, this government has decided to hide its agenda from the voters, knowing full well they wouldn't win an election if they told the truth about their plans for this province. That the government continues to lie and contradict itself simply proves that it lacks the moral authority to continue in government. Perhaps next election we won't allow ourselves to be fooled a third time.
Trevor Ritchie, Burnaby
