The NDP's Opposition Standing Committee for Agriculture and Food is coming to Kelowna to hear directly from farmers and other members of the public their ideas about agriculture, food and food security.
The committee, the NDP's answer to the Liberal government's axing of the former legislative Select Standing Committee for Agriculture 15 years ago, will be in town June 15 and hold its hearing from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coast Capri Hotel.
The NDP says its committee's mandate is to examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to an agriculture and food policy for B.C. The committee is made up of five NDP MLAs including co-chairwoman Lana Popham and Robin Austin, Raj Chouhan, Katrine Conroy and Nicholas Simons, as well as the other co-chairwoman, independent MLA co-chair Vicki Huntington.
“In 2001, the B.C. Liberal government dismantled the Select Standing Committee for Agriculture,” said Popham. “Since then, there had been no official voice in the legislature for farmers and food stakeholders.
“Since its inception in 2014, the Opposition Standing Committee for Agriculture and Food has been able to renew a voice for farmers and food stakeholders in the legislature by being a resource for people to reach out to and by travelling the province to hear concerns and ideas that can be brought back to the legislature.”
Presenters in Kelowna will have approximately 10 minutes each to present ideas to the committee, and the committee will give those in attendance time to ask questions of the committee.
To reserve a presentation slot, contact Samuel Godfrey at Samuel.Godfrey@leg.bc.ca or call (250) 479-4154.