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Clark back in the ’Wack to pitch job creation

B.C. Premier Christy Clark came to Chilliwack Wednesday to highlight the jobs created by her government’s liquefied natural gas strategy.
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Brad Miller

B.C. Premier Christy Clark came to Chilliwack Wednesday to highlight the jobs created by her government’s liquefied natural gas strategy.

And to keep those jobs coming, she urged voters in the Chilliwack-Hope byelection to cast their ballots for Laurie Throness.

“I’ve been coming to Chilliwack a lot because it’s really important that Laurie Throness get elected out here,” she told reporters, before touring the IMW Industries Ltd. plant.

“We can’t split the vote,” she said, “and every time the NDP gets into government, the province comes to a dead stop economically.”

Throness will represent free-enterprise, Clark continued, and “bring that passionate voice equal to the one Barry Penner had for so long in this community.”

The Premier shrugged off a recent poll that suggested the small-c conservative vote has already split between the BC Liberals and the BC Conservatives.

She said only two political parties in B.C. are “capable” of forming government.

“It would be a terrible shame if Chilliwack-Hope ended up being represented by (the NDP) who don’t care about free enterprise and who don’t care about growing our economy and creating jobs,” she said.

“That’s why we need to stick together.”

Throness also suggested the provincial Angus Reid survey doesn’t reflect the political landscape in the Chilliwack-Hope riding.

“What matters is what’s happening in this riding, and I’m seeing very encouraging results on the doorsteps,” he said.

Clark was in Chilliwack to tour the IMW plant that makes natural gas compressors. The plant expanded recently adding 100 more jobs to its 200-employee payroll.

Chilliwack MLA John Les, who was also on hand for the tour, said that B.C.’s natural gas strategy is attracting investment not just to the northern part of the province, but also here in the Chilliwack area.

He said that Tycrop Manufacturing in Rosedale, the Britco plant in Agassiz and IMW are all examples of local companies benefitting from the strategy.

“A lot of that natural gas investment is resulting in a lot of jobs in Chilliwack,” he said.

rfreeman@theprogress.com

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