In regards to your recent letter from Conservative nominee Brad Vis. I would just like to point out to Brad, that it's the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, controlled by the Federal Conservative Party of Canada, his Party, under the leadership of Steven Harper, is the main reason we have a ditching and drainage dilemma in Agassiz and Matsqui.
If the Federal Conservatives were so inclined to, they could instruct the Federal Fisheries and Oceans to open these historic free flowing watercourses, as well as implement their $28 million studied Cohen Report for the enhancement of the Fraser River Sockeye.
Because of the current Conservative Governments commitment to the Norwegian held Pacific Fish Farming Industry, they have turned their backs on the largest Salmon producing river in the world, the Fraser.
If the Conservative Government had implemented the recommendations of Justice Bruce Cohen, regarding their own studied report, of which they spent $28 million of Taxpayer's money, then these watercourses would have been enhanced into spawning channels, and drainage would not have been ignored, under the auspices of the Spotted Frog.
May I also remind Brad, that Agassiz and Matsqui are mainly Dairy Farming communities, of which, because of the proposed European Trade Agreement, that puts them in jeopardy as well.
I would highly recommend that the good people of Agassiz and Matsqui, take a close look at Brad and the five other contestants for the Conservative nomination for Mission/Matsqui/Fraser Canyon. It's unfortunate that the Conservatives, as well as the Liberals and NDP, don't have published platforms, as they are ultimately controlled by their Party leaders. This is a main reason why the country is in dire need of electoral reform.
The only mainstream political Party in Canada that has a published policy platform is the Green Party of Canada. If you got our website: Greenparty.ca and click on Vision Green, it has our full Party platform including Fisheries and Agriculture. We are the only Party in Canada to do this, because we believe that it's the constituents right to actually know what a Party stands for, instead political hyperbole and double speak.
Art Green, Hope
Green Party, Candidate
Mission/Matsqui/Fraser Canyon