NDP: Withdraw Bill 24

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet File Photo

NDP leader Adrian Dix

The NDP is calling on the provincial government to immediately withdraw Bill 24.

They claim admissions by new Agriculture Minister, Norm Letnick, indicates the legislation does not have the support of the agriculture community or British Columbians.

Bill 24, introduced in March, would remove protections from most of BC's farmland and open the door for more industrial development according to NDP leader, Adrian Dix.

"Norm Letnick has been agriculture minister for two weeks and he has clearly already heard enough public reaction to know Bill 24 is a bad piece of legislation that will destroy BC's Agricultural Land Reserve," said Dix.

"The BC Liberals never received a mandate to bring in such extensive changes. The Liberals need to do the right thing, listen to the public and stand up to protect BC farmers by withdrawing this legislation that Core Review Minister, Bill Bennett is championing."

Dix says Bennett continues to insist Bill 24 will proceed despite Letnick's acknowledgement that the legislation lacks support.

The NDP have been fighting the legislation and launched a campaign to give the public an opportunity to express their opposition to the bill.

Dix has also tabled the BC Local Food Act.

The legislation would implement a comprehensive strategy on government purchasing locally grown food, reintroduce the Buy BC Program, mandate a legislative committee on food and agriculture to prepare, in consort with the agriculture minister, a plan to increase local food production, marketing and processing.