In British Columbia, there is a shared commitment to ensure that the province is a place where the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples are recognized, and Indigenous Peoples can thrive.

British Columbia’s forest industry is facing difficult times. In the Interior, the end of the pine beetle cut, lower prices for lumber, and back-to-back catastrophic wildfire seasons have led to a number of sawmill closures. This has created hardship for workers and uncertainty for the communities that depend on forestry for their livelihoods.

As Canada’s gateway to the Asia Pacific, British Columbia is a strong supporter of rules-based trade and the many benefits that free trade agreements bring for B.C. businesses and all British Columbians.

The B.C. government is taking a three-pronged approach to building opportunities and sales for B.C. farmers, seafood producers and food processors, as well as those wanting to join these sectors.

B.C. worked closely with the federal government which is responsible for representing Canadian interests in trade negotiations. While the federal government engaged extensively with its U.S. counterparts, there is not yet enough common ground to support an agreement.

Treaties provide First Nations the authority and tools to take control of their future.

In the 1970s a number of events occurred at the same time which led to B.C. becoming a significant supplier of softwood lumber to the U.S.

As the Province helps the Portland Hotel Society to restructure, I feel it is important to remind British Columbians that close to 50 other agencies deliver a wide range of programs and services to some of society's poorest, most troubled individuals on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES).

The critic for advanced education and I have both been out meeting with students. However, that's where the similarity ends.