Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson was acclaimed to represent the Stikine constituency for the B.C. NDP in the May 14, 2013 election.
The Liberal, Green and Conservative and other parties have yet to nominate candidates.
Donaldson who was officially endorsed Nov. 24 at a B.C. NDP nomination
and Annual General Meeting in Smithers,
said he looks forward to the prospect of representing the northwest in Victoria.
“I will represent the people that vote for me and those that don’t,” Donaldson said, echoing part of his speech upon being elected MLA in 2009.
“I make sure to listen to every voice in the region and do my best to represent everybody.”
NDP Skeena-Bulkley Valley Member of Parliament Nathan Cullen thinks the right choice was made in Donaldson.
“Doug’s an excellent voice for the northwest,” Cullen said.
“He provides not only opposition to bad ideas, but also strong proposals for improving the economy.”
Although, Donaldson becomes the official NDP candidate 30 days prior to the election, he wants to ensure voters know where he stands beforehand.
“I can’t take anything for granted as far as being re-elected,” Donaldson said.
“I’m going to continue to shine a light on the current government decisions that I don’t think are advantageous for people living in Stikine.”
Donaldson plans to continue to push for what he has heard people in the north ask for, such as, responsible development and necessary services in remote rural areas.
“By continuing to do those things I hope people will endorse and vote for me once again.”
The workforce skills gap allowing foreign workers to take what should be local mining jobs away is also evidence of a failed policy in B.C. leadership, according to Donaldson.
“I thinks it’s a terrible condemnation of this government,” he said.
“We’re not only shipping our raw resources out of the province, but we’re also importing workers to help ship those resources out of the province.”
However, Donaldson’s voice goes unheard because the B.C. Legislature was prorogued for the fall sitting.
A silent Legislature is concerning, Donaldson said, because there are recent and ongoing issues requiring immediate attention.
B.C.’s motto is ‘Splendor sine occasu’ or splendour without diminishment and that appears to be Donaldson’s creed as mining and deputy energy critic.
“The deficit was just released and the projection is at least $500 million more than the B.C. Liberals thought it would be,” Donaldson said.
“With that kind of information in the public we should be meeting about these things in the Legislature around where this government’s spending priorities are.”
He made sure to highlight money put towards the B.C. Jobs Plan by the B.C. Liberals over the past year.
“That’s $15 million that could have been put towards post-secondary education at Northwest Community College or beds in hospitals,” Donaldson said.
The Stikine constituency was one of four regions to join and form B.C. during confederation in 1871.