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LETTER: NDP can’t claim high ground

Reader Rod Retzlaff gives examples of why he thinks the NDP is "an undemocratic institution that can't be trusted."
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I always read Michelle Mungall’s report in your paper, and for the most part, I agree with her sentiments, but when she singles out another MLA for receiving money for an expense, she should be aware that no MLA is immune to criticism.

Michelle’s pay and expense packet looks pretty rich to many of her constituents, including the poor single mothers and their children she claims to be so concerned about, so I really don’t think she is in a very good position to start pointing fingers.

Take for example the NDP voting for the provision that allows defeated MLAs to continue receiving their salary for up to a year after they are voted out in order to allow for an easier transition to civilian life. Where were the poor children when they agreed to that one? So now if you don’t like them you can “throw the bums out,” but in BC, you still have to pay the bums for another year.

She also claims there has been a quarter of a century of steadfast support for Jumbo Wild. It is true that the people of the East and West Kootenays have opposed the Jumbo resort for that long, but the NDP cannot make such a claim.

In fact it was the NDP who invited Oberto Oberti to BC and encouraged and supported his proposal. The people of the Kootenays surprised the NDP by opposing the resort, but the NDP continued to promote the idea all the time that they were in office. Only when they were relegated to the opposition did the NDP decide to change their position and stand with the local people.

Now the NDP has a leader who is so in favour of industrial development that he agrees with the Liberals that Site C is a good project, even though it will flood 83 km of bottom land, much of it extremely fertile farm land, in order to power more industrial development in the North. If he agrees with that, what is to stop him from flip flopping again to support the Jumbo Glacier Resort if he ever gains the reins of power?

The BC NDP is an undemocratic organization that cannot be trusted on this or any other issue. Believe me, I wish it were otherwise. We need a viable alternative to vote for, but unless they make some changes before the next election they aren’t it.

Rod Retzlaff

Glade