On October 6th, British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly will be recalled for a fall session that will continue through October and November. The main focus of these two months will be on a series of pieces of legislation related to the tax and royalty structure for the liquified natural gas (LNG) industry. Despite the government’s claim that LNG is their number one priority, the presentation of this legislation is already one year behind schedule.

The BC Liberals promised British Columbia voters that their LNG plan would result in a $100 billion Prosperity Fund, 12 to 15 LNG plants, the elimination of a $68 billion provincial debt, a trillion dollars worth of economic activity, and 100,000 jobs. But I’m not sure there are many British Columbians who still believe what the BC Liberals are saying.

As your MLA, it is my job to look for the truth behind BC Liberal claims. My job is to look beyond government spin and find out what is really happening. My job is to speak out when government actions do not put the best interest of my constituents first.

And my job is to raise issues of importance to this area. You are telling me to push the BC Liberal government to make good on their promise to four-lane the Trans Canada Highway in our area. You tell me that you want your right to have a say in managing our public lands restored. You tell me that you want to have confidence in the provincial government’s ability to properly manage one of our greatest assets — our public lands.

You tell me that you value public education and public healthcare, and you want the needs of our children and our seniors to be our government’s priority. These are the things I will be fighting for as I return to the legislature. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to contact me to share your thoughts and concerns.

Norm Macdonald is the NDP MLA for Columbia River Revelstoke. He can be reached by phone at 1-866-870-4188 and by email at norm.macdonald.mla@leg.bc.ca.