91原创 Advance Times runs a new weekly feature, call it 鈥淎t Your Service.鈥�
It鈥檚 another forum in which to put questions to our local politicians about key issues facing our community and its residents.
Using a basic question-and-answer format, elected officials will be asked one question at a time and given the opportunity to respond (to a maximum of 250 words) on that said issue.
Alternating between elected groups, 91原创 City and 91原创 Township councils, 91原创 school board, 91原创 MLAs, and 91原创 MPs each have a chance to participate.
The answers provided will be published in their entirety online each Sunday.
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MOST RECENT 鈥� MLAs agree diking upgrades needed, divided on if enough is being done
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QUESTION
Both 91原创 MPs were asked the same question: Will the federal government still meet its goals for planting two billion trees over the next eight years?
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ANSWERS
MP John Aldag
A. Our government has committed to planting 2 billion trees by 2030.
The program funds projects proposed by public and private sector organizations and Indigenous communities.
We have set annual targets to meet this goal and we are on track to reach this goal.
After a successful first planting season, Minister Wilkinson recently provided an update that NRCan鈥檚 program partners succeeded in planting 97 per cent of the 30 million trees planned for the 2021 planting season.
Over 150 different species were planted at over 500 sites across Canada 鈥� many in British Columbia.
Next year we will double that number, planting 60 million, and by 2027 the annual number planted will peak at 320 million trees planted.
We are ramping up production from 30 to 320 million because it requires time for our partners across Canada to build capacity and secure supply chains.
We are on track to plant 2 billion trees across the country, one part of our government鈥檚 plans to fight climate change, support biodiversity, and create thousands of jobs.
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MP Tako van Popta
A. The Liberals promised in 2019 that they would plant 2 billion trees by 2031 and earmarked $3.2 billion dollars for that purpose.
There is now less than a decade until the deadline for completion, yet only 1.5 per cent of the goal has been accomplished.
Depending on who you ask, you will hear either that the minimal progress is a clear indicator that the goal will never be reached, or that the slow start is all part of the plan and should not cause concern.
As both positions are simply opinions, I think we should focus on the elements of this plan that can be measured objectively.
On partisan issues like this one, it鈥檚 best to go beyond political talking points to impartial, expert voices.
The Parliamentary Budget Office released an independent cost estimate for this plan in January 2022, and they approximate the total cost to be above $5 billion. Why the enormous disparity between theirs and the Liberals鈥� estimates?
Only time will tell if the government will be able to meet its tree planting goal, but what I do know for sure is that Canadians deserve to know where their tax dollars are going, and they need a government that will deliver results on achievable promises.
Is this another instance of the Liberals over-promising and under-delivering?
Budgetary projections must be grounded in the real world.
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UP NEXT
Next week鈥檚 91原创 City councillors are being asked: As we move closer to SkyTrain arrival in 91原创 City, will we see pay parking introduced in certain area of downtown?
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Watch for their answers online Sunday.
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PAST COVERAGE
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council weighs in on supervised consumption sites
AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 trustees applaud positives found amid pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Township council weighs in on lack of industrial land
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs see feds as partners in SkyTrain to 91原创
AT YOUR SERVICE: Creating more housing, on all fronts, critical to stabilization: MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Heat wave another call to action 鈥� City council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Pools need to be part of Township-wide recreation planning
AT YOUR SERVICE: No current need for year-round schooling in 91原创, trustees agree
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs suggest staying the course on battling of B.C. wildfire
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs call for borders to be safely re-opened
AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 City council wants to keep higher density development north of Nicomekl
AT YOUR SERVICE: Passports key to keeping B.C. businesses open, people safe during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees ponder what kids are missing out on during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Education should trump rules for vaccination of health-care workers, suggest MLAs
AT YOUR SERVICE: How to handle rising housing prices
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council divided on call for indoor pool
AT YOUR SERVICE: Council ponders vaccine requirements for workers
AT YOUR SERVICE: Skyrocketing enrolment prompts intensified lobby by trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Political stripes aside, MLAs agree heat dome was tragic and action required
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree much must be done to right wrongs for Indigenous
AT YOUR SERVICE: Is pay parking in the City a viable consideration?
AT YOUR SERVICE: Some suggest more needed to protect floodplains from development
AT YOUR SERVICE: Monitoring student transport not good use of school district resources 鈥� trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal caucus floats all-party committee in reaction to emergencies
AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 MPs address issue of rising food costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Future of Aldergrove core up for debate
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trees and more greenspace at root of climate change solutions
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Councillors differ on future of SkyTrain beyond 91原创 City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Bigger schools not necessarily solution to rising land costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: High gas prices of concern for MLAs of both stripes
AT YOUR SERVICE: Empty homes can be safety concern, but not huge concern in City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Most of council content with current pothole repairs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Survey gives school district tools for staff recruitment, retention
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal MLAs call for overhaul to B.C.鈥檚 student funding model
AT YOUR SERVICE: Canada must continue its support of Ukraine, MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Best use of industrial land paramount to 91原创 City councillors
AT YOUR SERVICE: More ALR land needs to be used for farming: Most of council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MLAs agree more must be done to make life affordable in B.C.
AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal parties working on multiple fronts to end hate crimes
AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 City ponders cannabis retail policy
AT YOUR SERVICE 鈥� Most on council say parks and rec plans address future growth
AT YOUR SERVICE: School district moves forward on reconciliation efforts with Indigenous partners
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