Some good news: the province is bringing back the Buy BC marketing program.
The program, introduced by former Agriculture Minister Corky Evans in the 1990s, was popular with B.C. growers, producers and consumers. It was dumped by the Campbell government. I don’t remember why. The program will make it easier to identify B.C. produce and products and will encourage consumers to try new and different B.C. produced items. The announcement is timely, given U.S. President Trump’s trade shenanigans.
READ MORE: B.C. agriculture minister names committee to ‘revitalize’ ALR
Another recent provincial announcement, that all new major infrastructure projects will go through Community Benefit Agreements (CBA), has received mixed reviews.
The intent of CBA is to prioritize local employment, increase wages and create opportunities for apprenticeship training. It will also require workers on government projects to join specific trade unions.
The last one is contentious of course, but how can anyone argue against local people having first dibs on local jobs?
And if we don’t have enough trained people now, creating more opportunities for apprenticeship training should eventually take care of that.
As for those squawking about the mandatory union membership being payback for the union donations to the NDP, how is that different from the P3s and the other lucrative contracts awarded to major B.C. Liberal donors?
Maybe two wrongs don’t make a right, but what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. And what about those who live in glass houses throwing stones?
How soon we forget.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.
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