Clay Pountney, the former Chief of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, will run with the BC NDP in Prince George-Valemount.

Clay Pountney has been a resident of Prince George for 30 years and was former Chief of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. With careers in multiple trades, and working in different roles in forestry, mining, and oil and gas, he understands the challenges resource workers face because he has lived them. As elected Councilor and then Chief of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, he worked with other levels of government to build homes and infrastructure. Now he is ready to tackle today’s challenges as an MLA.

“My neighbours in Prince George-Valemount are facing big challenges, and the BC NDP has been identifying them and taking them on: by building homes and kicking out speculators that drive up prices, strengthening our healthcare by hiring and training doctors, nurses and other health practitioners, and finding different ways to put money back in your pocket,” said Pountney. “John Rustad has promised to cut 4.1 billion from our healthcare budget. The decisions he has made as MLA, and the decisions he is planning to make, will cost you more. We can’t afford the risk.”

Since forming government in July 2017, the BC NDP has taken action on crucial issues that matter to the people of Prince George-Valemount, including:

• Putting people ahead of speculators and investors by bringing in tough new restrictions on short-term rentals and a speculation tax, plus simplified approvals that make it easier and faster to get 300,000 new homes built;
• Connecting people to the care they need by hiring over 800 more family doctors, licensing internationally-educated healthcare workers in BC and building a new medical school at SFU Surrey to train even more doctors;
• Helping people with costs by eliminating MSP Premiums, reducing ICBC rates by $500 a year, boosting the BC Family Benefit by $445, cutting childcare fees in half, and making birth control free; and
• Taking action to create 75,000 good paying jobs in the last year to make BC an economic leader in Canada, with the highest wages in the country.

"Clay knows that resource workers need a government that's in their corner. As a roofer, an oil and gas machinist and a mining technician, he's lived their challenges. And as an elected official, he's acted to make life better for people. He is ready to take on big challenges so that people can build good lives in the community they love," said Premier David Eby. "People in Prince George-Valemount can count on him to act for housing they can afford, healthcare they can count on, and a more affordable day to day life."

Clay Pountney will join David Eby and 91 other exceptional BC NDP candidates in this fall’s provincial election, all committed to real action to help people build a good life here in BC.