They don’t know how long they’ll be there but the new politicians representing Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows already have spoken in the legislature.
Lisa Beare and Bob D’Eith both talked about family issues in Question Period on Wednesday, said a NDP news release.
Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, spoke about a family doctor, Dr. Rita McCracken, who couldn’t find daycare for her daughter who hadn’t even been born yet. Beare blamed the Liberals for not spending to create affordable childcare for families.
“Despite going on a childcare waitlist when she was 12 weeks pregnant, she struggled find a daycare space,” said Beare. “If a family doctor struggled to find affordable quality childcare, imagine how difficult it is for her patients?”
D’Eith, Maple Ridge-Misison, described the plight of another family facing the same predicament. Chantelle Morvay-Adams had to quit her job because she couldn’t find daycare for her son who had medical needs.
Two bills presented by the Liberals on Monday, one giving official party status to the Green party, the other offering bans on union and corporate political donations, were both defeated by the Green-NDP alliance which has 44 seats to the Liberals’ 43.
D’Eith and Beare both toppled incumbent Liberals Marc Dalton and Doug Bing in the May 9 election.
A non-confidence motion which could topple the Liberal government is expected Thursday.
“She (Premier Christy Clark) does not have the confidence of the house,” said D’Eith.
“She knows it and she’s spinning it out as long as she can. We just want to get on with governing.”
D’Eith doesn’t believe the Liberals have the money to pay for their new promises announced in the Thone Speech. Many of those contradicted previous Liberals policies of tight spending.
“We haven’t seen the numbers. No one I’ve talked to from any side believes that they have suddenly had a change in heart. I don’t know what the values of this party are … they just flip flop.”