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Kevin Falcon's Northern Prosperity Agenda

Monday, December 13, 2010

Today in Fort St. John, BC Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon unveiled several key elements of a new Northern Prosperity Agenda designed to help drive BC’s economic growth in the coming decade.

“As I’ve traveled throughout the North East over the past nine years, six as the Minister of Transportation, I’ve had a great opportunity to listen to people from Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson, as they have shared their concerns and aspirations,” said Falcon. “Community leaders, local citizens and businesses have brought forward a wide range of issues that need provincial government leadership and action, and I’m eager to respond.”

“The North's vast geographic potential has caught the world's attention, and the region is experiencing an unprecedented wave of development,” added Falcon. “As demand for its forestry, mineral, energy and agricultural products increases, our North is being transformed into 'BC's economic engine'. In an increasingly competitive global economy, British Columbians are fortunate to have this opportunity in front of us.”

“As Premier, I’ll lead by working together with residents, communities, First Nations, local leaders and businesses to bring forward and lever a new Northern Prosperity Agenda,” explained Falcon. “As I travel through the North in the coming weeks, I’ll present specific proposals for the Agenda.”

Some of the Northern Prosperity Agenda’s main thrusts that are most relevant to North Eastern BC are:

  1. Extend and increase our investment in the Interior and Rural Side Roads Program beyond 2013;
  2. Renew the 3 year Oil and Gas Road Improvement Program beyond 2011 to support private sector investment in oil and gas exploration;
  3. Make BC public lands available for lease to enable privately funded workforce housing projects necessary to support resource and infrastructure development;
  4. Reduce onerous ALR processes on North Eastern farm land.

“I look forward to having an opportunity to work together with all our citizens across the North, so that we can develop and implement a made-in-the-North prosperity agenda that benefits every British Columbian,” said Falcon.

For more information about Kevin Falcon and his BC Liberal leadership campaign, visit kevinfalcon.com

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