There is much discussion about the ferry component of the Discovery Coast Circle Tour and we would like to lay out clearly for the people of British Columbia, especially those living in our coastal communities, how much our government values the tourism industry and the opportunities that lie ahead.

The issue of transportation in Metro Vancouver is very topical, and that's a good thing.

People have wanted the Evergreen Line for a long time and this really struck me when I toured the Lower Mainland's transit system this fall.

The B.C. government's $14.3 million Clean Energy Vehicle Program was announced on Nov. 5, 2011.

Over the next decade, there will be an estimated one million job openings in B.C. in many sectors, including liquefied natural gas, mining and mineral exploration, and shipbuilding. Of those job openings, 43 per cent will require trades and technical training.

The provincial government is offering a variety of front-line assistance to its neighbours as the full impact of severe flooding in Calgary and other communities in southern Alberta becomes clearer.

The B.C. government has taken a number of bold steps to ensure air and water quality in British Columbia.

The Ministry of Environment approved Metro Vancouver's Solid Waste Management

Plan in July 2011 which includes goals for diverting 70 per cent of regional waste

through recycling, composting and other programs by 2015.

Tourism is one of British Columbia's most important industries. The traveller economy generates over $3 billion in export revenue annually.

By 2020, British Columbia will see more than one million job openings, with 18,000 of those forecasted for the Northeast.