My Conservative Party of B.C. colleagues recently joined me in advocating for improved public safety in Williams Lake and Cariboo-Chilcotin at-large.
I knew I had to once again escalate my concerns in the legislature after hearing that one of my constituents was assaulted in Boitanio Park. Plus, Williams Lake residents know all too well that violent break-ins at businesses are becoming uncomfortably frequent.
Crime has spiralled so far out of control that the mayor and council of Williams Lake were forced to hold an emergency town hall meeting last month on homelessness and community safety. The city has allotted an extra $100,000 toward patrols and portable outhouses in our parks.
As part of the routine business in the legislative assembly in Victoria, opposition MLAs have the opportunity to ask 30 minutes worth of rapid-fire questions of all cabinet ministers. This is known as “Question Period.”
For a large portion of Question Period last week, the Conservative Party caucus demanded answers specifically about Williams Lake. Hopefully we will be able to ask pointed questions about the other communities in my riding very soon.
In addition to our questions about public safety, we asked when the government will invest in mental health and addictions facilities in Cariboo-Chilcotin.
Of course, the NDP cabinet ministers hardly ever provide specific answers. They just recite their usual vague talking points and shift the blame. But the fact is that they are cutting mental health support services – especially in rural B.C. – rather than increasing them. And residents of the North and Interior are bracing themselves for ER closures this summer. Last year, there were over 200 such closures.
Recently, the Williams Lake Clean Team found weapons like box cutters, a kitchen knife and even a 23-inch machete outside of a corner store in Williams Lake. This is simply unacceptable. A pair of friends grabbing a slushy after school or a mother quickly buying a jug of milk from the convenience store should not feel threatened and intimidated in our city.
My colleague from Fraser-Nicola, MLA Tony Luck, pointed out that Williams Lake residents have turned to Facebook groups to monitor local public safety and keep one another informed. This is really out of a sense of desperation. But NDP Public Safety Minister Garry Begg’s response to this was essentially, “great work, Facebook users – keep it up.”
Often, in the more rural parts of B.C., we feel ignored by the government. But I won’t stand for it. I will keep demanding increased public safety measures and improved mental health and addictions facilities in our region. Williams Lake, and Cariboo-Chilcotin at-large, is a place full of natural beauty and amazing people. We can’t let that be overshadowed by public safety issues any longer.
P.S. – if you want to watch the full Question Period exchange about Williams Lake, visit my Facebook page to view the video.
