Victoria, 15 November 2013 – Close to 2,000 British Columbians have signed IntegrityBC's online petition calling on the B.C. government to call-off any changes it may be considering to the Agricultural Land Commission.
The organization launched the petition last Friday following a Globe and Mail news reports that Agriculture Minister Pat Pimm had written a memo to cabinet recommending changes to the ALC that would effectively gut the Commission.
The organization's petition notes that that B.C. Liberal party did not campaign on altering the Commission during last spring's election, the party's platform didn't mention changes to the Commission, and in response to a specific question by Metro Vancouver on the Commission the B.C. Liberal party did not propose any changes.
“British Columbians are fed up with this idea that they can be sold a pig in a poke during the campaign and then find out the harsh realities after they've cast their ballot,” said IntegrityBC executive director Dermod Travis.
IntegrityBC's petition is available at: www.change.org/petitions/premier-christy-clark-hands-off-bc-s-agricultural-land-commission
A link is also available off the organization's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IntegrityBritishColumbia
On Saturday, the Globe and Mail also reported that Pimm and Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman made representations in an application by a Fort St. John resident to withdraw land from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Dermod Travis, Executive Director
IntegrityBC