In my opinion, there is something to be said about people, especially politicians, who are slow to anger and remain calm and collected when approaching issues of life. That being said, today, there are many modes of communication.  Blogs, websites, emails, news bites, etc., provide instant access to us all.  However, public policy often stems from political reaction to fears that grow out of public reaction to what is read and heard.  Keeping this in mind, one must reflect and do their own research in order to obtain the facts.

One example was the knee-jerk reaction to the H1N1 flu scare. The hype that generated caused a reaction from government that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.  However, HINI turned out to be less of a threat than as previously predicted.   Yet, as a society we were driven by fear generated by media, politicians, and bureaucrats.  Obviously, it is important to err on the side of caution but it is also important to take time to separate hype from fact.

Another example was the disappearance of the Sockeye Salmon reported on the B.C. coast.  I received emails accusing our government of protecting fish farming, disregarding fish management, over-fishing, etc., etc.  As a result, our government set up the Cohen Inquiry to examine where the Sockeye Salmon went, as well as  review fish management policies and what, if any, influence fish-farming had on Salmon stocks. 

Apparently, the Sockeye only disappeared from our sight but they were there and in record numbers. Today we are experiencing the largest Sockeye Salmon run ever seen in this century -- estimates are over 37 million fish!!  (A typical run is 10 million during the fourth or peak year of the run.) 

I believe in environmental stewardship, responsible environmental protection, and full circle use of products. But I also believe that living in fear and setting public policy as a reaction to that fear is not prudent. Common sense and a steady hand will help government use our financial resources to better protect our environment and public health and safety.

Colin Mayes, MP
Okanagan-Shuswap