Coralee Oakes, the BC United MLA for Cariboo North, took aim at the NDP Government’s decriminalization policies in the legislature this week.
Coralee Oakes talked about the impact that it was having on businesses and people in Quesnel’s downtown core.
“The fact that when you have a young family and they are going into a business and they have open drug use that sends fear into our communities, the fact that Quesnel is so proud of our River Walk where families have come together for so many years, and they’re afraid to walk because of this government’s failed policies.”
Oakes also mentioned that people were starting fires in behind some businesses.
She challenged the government to stop the rhetoric and bring their decriminalization policies to the legislature for debate.
“Lets talk about senior’s housing, lets talk about the Fraser Village in my community that’s been taken over by BC Housing. I get calls all of the time Mr. Speaker from community members who are seniors who are afraid, they are afraid because this government continues down this path without the necessary guard rails.”
Oakes also asked if there were any communities in the province that were safer now than when the NDP took office in 2017.
Things really got heated when a member on the other side of the isle said that they had treatments and housing in their area.
“So while rural British Columbia is abandoned by this government, I have someone over there that has the audacity to brag about that they’ve got treatment, they’ve got housing. Well I say Mr. Speaker, there is inequity by this government. You had better start paying attention to what’s happening in rural British Columbia.”
Oakes went on to say that it was the resources from rural BC that were paying for the services in the Lower Mainland.
She also talked about other differences between rural BC and the Lower Mainland.
“The Minister of Health says we are protecting our hospitals, we do not have the security that this member talks about. When the Minister of Public Safety talks about that we have these wrap around hubs for prolific offenders, we do not have that in our communities Mr. Speaker. Time after time after time this government comes forward and says that we have services in our communities, which we do not !”
Oakes suggested that NDP members come to rural BC and look residents in the eye.