I had a Kumbaya moment reading the letter “Together, for a brighter future for all British Columbians” signed by multiple B.C. resource, energy and business associations whose names are familiar to most everyone.
These groups indicate they are going to work together and collaborate with government agencies, Indigenous leaders, workers and communities to better B.C. with the challenges of inequity, divisiveness, homelessness, climate change and other social and environmental issues. Who could possibly argue with those sentiments?
I found the letter absolutely ground shaking, considering those same signatories have been some of the most obstructionist organizations regarding environmental issues and climate change, worker’s, human, and Indigenous rights, living minimum wages, low-income housing, homeless camps, and so on.
Call me cynical, but as warm and fuzzy as the sudden change of heart appears, I suspect this has more to do with these organizations wanting to go hat in hand to the provincial and federal government to ask for a handout of our tax money to assist the specific segments they represent.
You see, I’ve lived long enough to have followed interviews, press releases and campaigns by most of these signatories to know better. Some have had the audacity to call people advocating for those above-mentioned issues as special-interest groups. Some have intervened and demanded court injunctions.
Then again, maybe the COVID-19 virus is reprogramming people’s minds to actually care for someone outside of their direct special-interest groups and stakeholders. But I’m not holding my breath.
Arthur Entlich
Metchosin