[BCFSN] Legislative Agriculture Committee Update

[Jim Wright]

BCFSN members and friends,

I sent the following message to food at bcfsn.org on Friday morning. It got
through to bcc recipients but somehow not to this list. I¹ll just add now
that MLA Lana Popham responded enthusiastically: "I'm so grateful to have
your blessings and encouragement.  Please know that we will try our very
best to make this thing work!² (Lana also promises to stay in touch.)
____________

RESENT MESSAGE:

Adding MLA Vicki Huntington as vice chair is a great step for the
committee¹s credibility and effectiveness.
 
When the committee was unveiled a week ago, I urged that step in a Garden
City Conservation blog article, ³New agri-food committee would best be
unpartisan,² http://wp.me/p97QM-2OJ <http://wp.me/p97QM-2OJ> , and emailed
about it to New Democrat MLAs Lana Popham and Nicholas Simons and also to
MLA Vicki Huntington (Independent ) and MLA Andrew Weaver (Green).
 
Nicholas replied to say they¹d been discussing [non-NDP membership] and ³it
would just be a matter of time.² Lana followed up by phone, explaining how
she would talk about it with Andrew but could add just one independent,
Vicki, as a committee member. (Naturally, Lana asked that I not publicize it
before the intended media release.)
 
To me a key quality is the inclusive and consultative approach. Lana and
Nicholas may have been completely putting themselves in the shoes of their
colleagues and the community all along, or they may be adjusting a little
with my input, which went further in the phone discussion. It doesn¹t matter
which.
 
Either way, the inclusive/consultative mindset seems to be exemplary. In
intent, the plan of action that Lana enthusiastically described promises to
be at a similar level.
 
It¹s so nice to be able to acknowledge politicians who are acting so well
for the agriculture/food future of British Columbians.
 
Jim Wright
Garden City Conservation Society, Richmond
____________

On 2015-01-29, 3:17 PM, "Popham.MLA, Lana" <Lana.Popham.MLA at leg.bc.ca>
wrote:

> Independent MLA joins Opposition Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food as
> vice-chair
> January 29, 2015
> 
> 
> VICTORIA‹ Independent MLA Vicki Huntington has joined the Opposition Standing
> Committee on Agriculture and Food as vice-chair.
> 
> ³I¹m pleased Vicki Huntington is joining as vice-chair of the Opposition
> Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food,² said committee chair Lana
> Popham<http://bcndpcaucus.ca/mla/lana-popham/>. ³A proven champion of B.C.
> agriculture, she brings a wealth of experience to the position.²
> 
> Last week, Popham announced the formation of the Opposition Standing Committee
> on Agriculture and Food in response to the fact that the government hasn¹t
> activated the official legislative committee for more than a decade.
> 
> ³Lana Popham is an extremely committed advocate for agriculture in this
> province and her work is respected on both sides of the House. Agriculture and
> food security are issues that cross all party lines and I look forward to
> working with Lana and the committee,² said Huntington.
> 
> Popham noted that B.C.¹s agriculture industry creates jobs in every corner of
> the province.
> 
> ³It¹s long past time that the agriculture industry, which is a powerful job
> creator across the province, had the opportunity to be heard by a legislative
> committee,² said Popham. ³I¹m pleased that this sector enjoys broad support
> from members of the legislature.²


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