Premier says path of peace of schools, resources shapes BC’s future
Posted September 26, 2014 11:43 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WHISTLER, (NEWS1130) – Premier Christy Clark says the path of peace has the power to shape British Columbia’s future.
She told municipal leaders attending the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention in Whistler that peace talks can settle difficult issues, including school strikes, aboriginal claims, resource conflicts, and the high-cost of running governments.
Clark says possessing the courage to talk out difficult issues between parties with opposing views has helped make BC what it is today, and she called on municipal leaders to work with the province to hold the line on costs and taxes.
The premier says past decisions have changed history for the province, such as the 1858 agreement between militia groups and First Nations chiefs that stopped a potential war in the Fraser Canyon and the recent strike that saw teachers and the government reach a deal.
Clark says the BC Teachers Federation could have stayed on strike and the government could have legislated them back to work, but leadership on both sides dug in and found a deal.
She told the crowd that keeping finances in check should be the top priority, but she noted that she wasn’t pointing her finger at the spending habits of local governments.
