Editor:
I am not usually one to defend a politician; and I definitely believe that the role of a newspaper, the duty of a newspaper, is to hold them responsible, but your editorial of Nov. 26 (Why isn’t Rice defending us) is so shockingly wrong in so many ways that I have to respond.
While you have every right to criticize the remarks of John Horgan, you cannot turn around and use those same remarks to make a personal attack on someone else, in this case our MLA. John Horgan made the remarks; he owns them. Attack Horgan, attack NDP policy, but you cannot make the leap that “the first-term MLA is nowhere to be seen. She’s not defending the opportunities or the people in jobs related to LNG here on the North Coast and she’s not talking about what is actually happening here. In fact, she’s not talking at all”.
In the same paper as your editorial, there is a letter from John Horgan clarifying his and the NDP’s position on LNG in the Northwest and Prince Rupert. Now I have no way of knowing this, but we can certainly assume that Jennifer Rice was sufficiently upset to get Horgan to write that letter. And rather than use that opportunity to write an editorial on the NDP and its policy, you ignored it completely to bash our MLA.
On top of that, and, more importantly, this newspaper continues to show its obvious bias against Jennifer Rice. Your comment that “she’s not talking at all” is completely false.
From my recycling bin, I was able to pull out the last four editions of the Northern View. Except for your editorial I could find nothing in relation to Jennifer Rice. Not one story. You didn’t even cover the John Horgan visit.
However, in the month of November alone, Jennifer has spoken in the Legislature on a wide variety of topics. She has fought diligently for improvements to transportation along the Highway of Tears and the minister responsible has finally indicated something will be done long after recommendations were made by the Inquiry on Missing Women. In support of the government’s plan to create an official Terry Fox Day, she brought attention to our city by praising Jim Terrion who has done as much as anybody in BC to support Terry’s legacy. In a speech about LNG she brought our concerns about housing, infrastructure and jobs to the forefront. And just the other day, her hard work has resulted in assurances from the Transport Minister that BC Ferries will not discriminate against those needing wheelchair access.
Of course you have every right to criticize her efforts, but it is pretty hard to make judgements when no reporting occurs.
In other words, if anybody can be accused of “not talking at all”, it might be the Northern View.
Dale White
Prince Rupert
