BC Liberals leader Christy Clark was in Williams Lake Thursday, the tenth city on what she described as a "brainstorm of the province" tour.
Almost 100 people filled the Tourism Discovery Centre, some wearing red and blue, others carrying pompoms, to welcome Clark.
"I'm so proud to be here with you tonight," Clark said. "British Columbians are really thinking about the issues that we have at stake in front of us, thinking about the economy, thinking how important it is that we live in a place where our leaders want to try to say yes to economic development, yes to jobs, yes to liquefied gas and yes to mining, yes to expanding markets of our forestry products we produce and yes to agriculture and yes to ranching."
The difference between "us and them" and the reason her supporters were there tonight was because they believe in "yes," Clark told the crowd.
Taking the stage with Liberal candidates Donna Barnett, Cariboo-Chilcotin, and Coralee Oakes, Cariboo North, Clark said she was proud to stand with both women.
"These two women, one with four-generations of roots in these communities here, building our province and of course, Donna Barnett, who has done more than any MLA in the B.C. legislature to work her tail off for you guys."
Both know how to lead, listen, act and make sure that communities in the region that depend on a strong voice get the action they need.
"We need leadership that says yes. British Columbia was not built by people who say no," Clark said, adding the region is "literally sitting on a gold mine" with opportunity for all British Columbians.
Child and parent poverty can be fixed by growing the economy, she suggested, adding the difference between the Liberals and the NDP is that the Liberals would grow the economy and the NDP would grow government.
"In order to grow government they'll take more money out of your pockets to pay for it. Once they've done that, you'll leave and your children will leave and our economies will begin to shrink."
That's a "movie" already seen, and the worst thing is sitting through a bad movie a second time, she added.
“Adrian Dix was in Prince George and it’s mining week so he said he’s in support of mining, but the week before said he was opposed to the expansion of Gibraltar Mine,” Clark said.
Responding Cariboo-Chilcotin NDP candidate Charlie Wyse said Clark’s suggestion that the NPD are opposed to the Gibraltar Mine expansion is a prime example of the Liberals’ “fact free” campaign.
“We’re not opposed to any mining project that meets the necessary environmental reviews and the consultation that’s required by legislation. The question that I have is Christy Clark saying that projects should proceed without an environmental review? That’s my question back,” Wyse said.