Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald is charging that Kootenay East MLA and Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister for Core Review Bill Bennett’s motivation behind Bill 24 is vote buying.

A stream of recently leaked emails between two prominent BC Liberal MLAs has eliminated any hope the government has of pretending that Bill 24, which will significantly change the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), has anything to do with promoting agriculture or assisting farmers, said Macdonald in a May 28 press release.

“Two emails dated July 30, 2012 and July 31, 2012 between Pat Pimm, MLA for Peace River North and future Minister of Agriculture, and Bill Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East and the chief architect of Bill 24, lay out their displeasure at the way the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) is being run.  And they state without equivocation why they want the changes that are being made in Bill 24, the release states.

“Bill 24 is entirely about buying votes, and this email exchange proves it,” said Macdonald. “In the email, complaints are made that the ALC is not making the right decisions; is not taking the ‘opportunity to muster up some support for our team’.”

The email stream also laments the independence of the ALC and its chair Richard Bullock, and demands that the then Minister of Agriculture honour a caucus agreement, sanctioned by the Premier, to allow changes to the ALR, specifically in Pimm and Bennett’s areas.  Former Minister McRae was clearly moving too slowly to satisfy them, the release outlines.

“Despite the fact that Premier Clark promised prior to the election to ‘preserve agricultural land and encourage farming’ and ‘to maintain the excellent relationship we have built with the ALC’, following the 2013 election she chose Pimm as Minister of Agriculture and Bennett as Minister of Core Review to spearhead significant changes to the ALR.  Bill 24 is the disastrous result,” the release continues.

“In a few short hours, the BC Liberal government will force through legislation that will significantly weaken the Agriculture Land Commission and will allow any manner of development on agricultural lands.  It does absolutely nothing to promote agriculture in this province, it does not support farmers, and lessens our ability to feed ourselves into the future,” Macdonald stated.

“The effects of this legislation will be felt by British Columbians for generations to come, and all to satisfy the political needs of two BC Liberal caucus members.”

The following are a couple of excerpts from the email stream, as supplied by the BC NDP:

1) July 31, 2012 email from Pat Pimm to Richard Bullock, Bill Bennett, Agriculture Minister Don McCrae, Transportation Minister and MLA from Peace River South Blair Lekstrom, MLA Donna Barnett, and MLA Eric Foster quote: “…every time I try to contact Mr Bulluch (sic) I am told that he is an arms length body and for me to get the hell out of his hair.  Who the hell is running our Province anyways.  Here is an opportunity to actually muster up some support for our team but instead we will ignore it and go out and find some way to give the Indians more money which doesn’t get me one vote!  I am getting very tired of this kind of nonsense.”

2) July 30, 2012 email from Bill Bennett to Agriculture Minister Don McRae quote: “…you may recall a discussion we had in Caucus when proposed changes to your legislation were discussed…. …Premier Clark was present and I very deliberately looked her in the eye and made direct reference to the fact that she was present for this discussion.  Your apparent lack of recollection about this commitment during your trip here was surprising and concerning.”

Bennett responded by stating the emails merely show how he advocates for his constituents and brushes off the accusation of vote buying as hypocrisy.

“The emails in question, at least mine, show simply that I have been advocating for my constituents. To characterize MLA advocacy as ‘vote buying’ is typical of the NDP, especially MLA Macdonald who doesn’t even reside in his own riding. Walking talking hypocrisy,” he stated.

“Aside from the very unfortunate comment by MLA Pimm about First Nations, which I strongly repudiate, the ALC issues discussed are nothing new. Who is surprised that I am a strong representative for my rural constituents who want change? This isn’t vote buying. It is the democratic process and an MLA doing what he is hired to do.”

Bennett said he has often heard from constituents that changes are needed to the ALC to enable them to better use land deemed as agricultural.

“The purpose of the bill is to allow farmers and ranchers the flexibility to use non-arable land in ways that help them stay on the farm. For example, putting a food processing facility on a farm, or parking a truck used in another business, or allowing a child to build a home on the farm to help Mom and Dad stay on the farm,” he said, adding the ALC will remain independent.

“After Bill 24 is passed, the ALC will be just as independent as it was before passage of the bill. That is demonstrably true from a reading of the legislation,” he said, concluding, “For 13 years my rural constituents have asked for changes. I am not surprised the NDP don’t want government to get any credit for those much needed changes.”

As for Bennett’s assertion that Macdonald doesn’t live in the Columbia River-Revelstoke riding, he said, “After 9 years of serving in the Legislature with Mr. Bennett, I’ve gotten pretty used to his fabrications. Whenever he paints himself into a political corner he tries to deflect attention with lies. Of course I live in my riding.”

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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