NDP MLAs Stand Up For Rural Communities
Kamloops – New Democrat MLAs Charlie Wyse and Harry Lali are continuing their fight to ensure that rural British Columbians maintain their current level of representation in the Legislature, and they are urging people to speak out at upcoming public hearings on electoral boundaries.
"The Electoral Boundary Commission is holding hearings around B.C., and it is vital that rural British Columbians make their voices heard about the need for fair and effective representation," said Lali, the MLA for Yale – Lillooet. 
Harry Lali
Wyse, the MLA for Cariboo South, said, "The commission’s recent report is preliminary, and now is the time for people to let the commission know what they think before the commission completes its final report early next year."
The two MLAs pointed out the Commission will hold hearings in Williams Lake on Oct. 22, Kamloops on Oct. 23, and Merritt on Oct. 24. Details are available on the Commission’s website at www.bc-ebc.ca
Both Wyse and Lali – along with Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson – have been actively pressing the Commission to protect rural seats since the Commission started its work a year ago.
"The rural communities of British Columbia produce much of the province’s wealth, and need a voice in how that wealth is spent," said Wyse, adding that the Commission needs to consider the vast 
Charlie Wysegeography of the constituencies, the large number of First Nations communities, and the travel and communication challenges for many of the remote areas in the Cariboo and Southern Interior.
Lali said that at a time when the Campbell government is cutting back services to rural communities, it is more important than ever to maintain representation in the legislature.
Both MLAs stressed that New Democrats have been speaking out about rural representation since the boundaries commission began its work last year. "In the electoral boundary commission hearings last year, we took a prominent role standing up for rural British Columbians," Lali said.
