Mr. Speaker, as this is my first opportunity, I would like to congratulate and welcome all members into this place. I cannot say their names, but obviously they know who they are.
This weekend I returned to my amazing riding of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. Over the weekend I heard a fair bit of concern over last Friday's throne speech. In my experience, it is unusual to hear concerns over a throne speech.
Many citizens were concerned that the government's upcoming priorities made no mention of a softwood lumber agreement. For communities such as Princeton, Merritt, and West Kelowna, forestry is the single largest employer. These communities critically depend on market access and obviously on a softwood lumber agreement.
As the Liberal government has not yet named a lead British Columbia minister, I am hopeful that the importance of a softwood lumber agreement to many B.C. communities, like my own riding and elsewhere, is not overlooked.