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Kevin Mitchell, P.Eng

Independent  (Fort Langley - Aldergrove)

Copyright 2013 Kevin Mitchell. All rights reserved.

My platform consists of five key points:

Support     Agriculture     Voice     Employment     Rural

For more details on these SAVER initiatives, please review the following:

Support               Balancing provincial support with surging demand

Over the past 10 or so years, the Township has adopted a pro-development approach to residential growth. This approach has put a serious strain on many provincially-funded programs including health care, education and social services.  I believe we need to maintain a balance between our ability to support this development and the effects of an overburdened system.  

Agriculture        Promoting Agricultural Viability

The Township of Langley was once a proud supplier of many of the fruit, vegetable, dairy and meat products for the Lower Mainland.  Speculative land purchases and economic forces driving our community to a monoculture crop have threatened to destroy our ability to provide this valuable service to our neighbours in surrounding communities.  Local Government and educational institutions are working to reverse this trend.  I will reinforce this message in Victoria and work to reverse this trend by soliciting support from the appropriate ministries and crown corporations.

Voice                 The voice of the people

As an independent, I can better serve local residents by not being constrained by party politics. In the highly partisan atmosphere of B.C. provincial politics, MLAs serve their government's purpose or their party's, and constituents are often an afterthought.  As an independent MLA, I will have more of a voice in Victoria than any backbencher because I can't be muzzled by a party whip. I will also receive double the communication and research budget allotted party MLAs, because I won’t be able to rely on party resources.

Employment A vision for local employment

The Township Official Community Plan promotes “one job for each Township resident in the workforce”. This initiative requires a great deal of government support through job training, tax incentives for small business and other initiatives aimed at supporting local employment.  I believe given our industrial land base, talented work force and successes to date we can achieve our goal.  I will support this effort throughout my term.

Employment      A vision for local employment

The Township Official Community Plan promotes “one job for each Township resident in the workforce”. This initiative requires a great deal of government support through job training, tax incentives for small business and other initiatives aimed at supporting local employment. I believe given our industrial land base, talented work force and successes to date we can achieve our goal.  I will support this effort throughout my term.

Rural                 Protecting our rural heritage

The Township has a proud heritage that dates back to being the first capital of B.C.  For almost 150 years, we have celebrated that heritage.  In the last 40 years we have tried to protect our roots by establishing more than 75% of our lands in the Agricultural Lands Reserve.  As a result of this protection and the growing demand for developable land the ALR is under attack.  My goal is to work with the government of the day to reinforce the Agricultural Land Commission and its resources to ensure our rural heritage will be protected forever.