Frankly Speaking

Darryl Plecas Update: Darryl Plecas spoke to The Abbotsford News' Tyler Olsen about his decision to become Speaker, shedding new light on how it all happened and on his conversation with BC Liberal interim leader Rich Coleman the night before the Legislature resumed sitting. The whole story can be read here . Darryl Plecas, MLA for Abbotsford South, surprised just about everyone today by running for and being elected Speaker of the B.C. Legislature. He represents Aldergrove in the legislature, as well as a large portion of Abbotsford. I think he will do a good job as Speaker. He has not joined the NDP or Greens - he is the Speaker, which is a non-partisan position and involves managing how the legislature operates. I have run into Darryl many times over the years, going back to our days at Douglas College in the 1970s. His family has a long history in the Fleetwood area of Surrey. He has had a great career as a criminology professor at the University of the Fr...

Premier Christy Clark's job is on the line. Voters in 87 B.C. ridings will decide on May 9 if her government deserves another term. The 2017 provincial election takes place on May 9 – less than three months from now. Yet in Langley, the level of political activity thus far has been quite subdued. Perhaps the biggest change is that one of the two Langley ridings has been renamed, and significant portions of eastern Langley are no longer part of the former Fort Langley-Aldergrove riding. The riding, in place since 1991, has been renamed Langley East. All of Langley Township east of 248 Street and south of Highway 1 is now located in the Abbotsford South riding, while the portion east of 264 Street and north of Highway 1 is in the Abbotsford West riding. This effectively takes Aldergrove out of Langley, for provincial purposes. While this seems strange, considering that the two Langleys have been served by two ridings continuously since the 1991 election, it is not with...