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Election 2013: Comparing candidates

Political diversity descends upon Nechako Lakes riding ahead of May 14, 2013 general election in British Columbia

B.C. Conservative

Dan Brooks

 

Daniel Brooks has been nominated to run for the B.C. Conservatives in Nechako Lakes in the upcoming May election.

A guide outfitter from the Vanderhoof area for the past 15 years, Brooks was born and raised here. A devout family man, Brooks is married and the father of seven daughters. He has a degree in Classical (Greek and Roman) Studies from the University of Waterloo.

Brooks said his real passion is the outdoors - especially hunting and fishing - and that he speaks Moose better than Latin. Brooks founded and chairs the local Vanderhoof tourism association called the Upper Nechako Wilderness Council.

For the past 15 years Dan has been a vocal participant and tourism advocate in land use planning processes including the Land and Resource Management Plan and the Sustainable Forest Management Plan Public Advisory Group.

Brooks felt compelled to enter B.C. politics when the B.C. Liberals adopted the Provincial Wildlife Allocation Policy, which has crippled his outfitting business to the point where he will be forced to shut down operations in three years, he said.

Brooks said he would fight to ensure the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline never spills. He said he is a passionate fighter for all just causes and an innovative problem solver with a pragmatic approach to fixing government.

B.C. NDP Sussanne

Skidmore-Hewlett

 

Sussanne Skidmore-Hewlett is the NDP candidate running for Nechako Lakes MLA in the May 2013 election.

She has worked in Prince George for more than 14 years and has recreational property in Fraser Lake. She is married with an adult son.

Skidmore-Hewlett achieved her Social Services Diploma in 1996 and subsequently moved to Prince George to begin her career within the public sector.

She has worked most of her career within the Ministry of Justice and currently oversees the facilitation of training for the court services staff in the northern region. Also, she sits on the BCGEU Provincial Executive, Equity and Human Rights Committee and Women's Committee.

Skidmore-Hewlett wants the provincial government to restrict raw log exports to create more jobs in B.C.'s forestry sector. She supports the development of new strategies to ensure the forest industry is sustainable and creating family-supporting jobs, utilizing natural resources efficiently and reinvesting in our publicly owned forest lands.

Skidmore-Hewlett is opposed to the Enbridge pipeline and believes the province needs to strengthen environmental protections and take control of decisions on similar energy projects to ensure the interests and concerns of citizens, businesses and First Nations in Nechako Lakes are being heard properly.

B.C. Liberal

John Rustad

 

John Rustad is running for re-election as Nechako Lakes MLA for the B.C. Liberals.

Rustad was elected in May 2009 and was previously elected for the Prince George-Omineca riding in 2005.

Born and raised in Prince George, Rustad has worked in the forest industry for more than 20 years. In 1995 he formed Western Geographic Information Systems Inc., a consulting service for the forest industry. He is a former GIS department manager for Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants in Prince George.

In September 2012, Rustad was appointed as parliamentary secretary for forestry to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. He currently co-chairs the Farm Assessment Review Panel and has chaired the Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, the Select Standing Committee to Appoint a Police Complaint Commissioner and the Government Caucus Committee on Social Development.

If re-elected, Rustad, would support the Enbridge pipeline if it meets the five criteria outlined by Christy Clark and plans to advocate for more infrastructure improvements in Nechako Lakes, focus on the forestry file and move forward with recommendations made by the Mid-Term Timber Supply Committee. Expanding post-secondary education in the region is also a high priority, he said. John Rustad and his wife Kim were married in 1995. Together they enjoy theatre, golf, skiing, and the outdoors.

B.C. Green Party

Colin Hamm

 

 

Colin Hamm has been nominated to run for the BC Green Party for Nechako Lakes.

Hamm was born and raised in British Columbia, alternating between being educated in Vancouver and living and working on the family farm north of Dawson Creek.

He has lived all over the province and worked in a variety of jobs and settings including working in a saw mill in Fort Nelson to pay for university studies, working as a reporter in Smithers and Houston, and teaching in Victoria.

Hamm holds a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Simon Fraser University with minors in history, kinesiology and environmental education.

He also has a Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching certificate.

Hamm trained to be a teacher, but took a private sector job designing children’s playground equipment for 10 years then returned to teaching in private colleges.

He now resides on a small acreage near Fort St James, B.C., and has designed and built his home and other the buildings on his property.

Hamm said he is not opposed to development, but does not see the risk to the environment worth what he sees as the minimal local benefits in the case of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. He also supports forestry planning which would include creating more jobs for the amount of wood harvested through value-added products and more local input and benefits.

Hamm also would like to see the province promote education and innovation to help diversify the economy for the long-term.