Public process in Fernie a sham?
Fernie doesn’t want coal bed methane development (CBM). The municipal council passed a resolution opposing CBM after a broad cross section of citizens spoke out a turnout at a recent town hall meeting against drilling.
Unfortunately, despite this overwhelming public opposition to coalbed methane expansion, the MLA for the area, Bill Bennett, appeared on the radio the next day saying he thought that there was good support for CBM development expressed by residents at the forum.
He doesn’t listen. Nor is his government listening to the public anywhere in BC. The arrogant disdain that representatives of the current BC government have taken towards public opinion contrasts starkly with their promise of an “open and accountable government.”
No one thought this meant that they would ignore the overwelming sentiment of their constituents on important public issues like coalbed methane in Fernie or the Working Forest initiative.
Perhaps the problem is with math. How else can you explain their rejection of the 97% in opposition to Working Forest or the 200 residents in Fernie who showed up at the public meeting opposed to coalbed methane development? Perhaps this also explains how they still claim that their ill-advised tax cuts would pay for themselves. After all, the Minister of Finance is a certified flight instructor.