Earlier this summer, during a visit to Kelowna, Premier Christy Clark was asked by Global TV’s Rick Webber about the government’s plans for creating a national park in the South Okanagan.
When Mr. Webber noted that public opinion polls have found strong support for the idea, the premier disagreed, saying “there’s competing surveys” that show a majority do not want a park in the South Okanagan.
For those who follow this issue, the premier’s comments were a revelation. A competing survey or surveys? Majority opposition to the park? To paraphrase Oliver Twist: please, madam, may we have some more — information that is.
It is a matter of record that public attitudes toward the park were surveyed in 2010 and 2015 by Vancouver-based McAllister Opinion Research. As Mr. Webber noted correctly in his interview with the premier, both surveys showed support for the park running at about two or three to one in the South Okanagan. And in both cases, the results were made public along with details on sample size, methodology and so on.
Since these are clearly not the surveys cited by the premier, a number of questions arise: What survey or surveys was she referring to? Who did them? When? What was the methodology? What was the cost? Who picked up the tab? Was it the taxpayers of B.C.? If so, why are the results under wraps?
Anyone wishing to put these or other questions directly to the premier can try the following — email: premier@gov.bc.ca; phone: 250-387-1715; facsimile: 250-387-0087; mailing address: PO Box 9041 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, B.C. V8W9E1.
Peter Maser
Penticton