Greater Vernon Chamber responds to federal election

VERNON – The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce will continue to speak on behalf of its members and the community as Canada adjusts to a new political landscape.
On Oct. 21, the Conservatives held on to the riding of North Okanagan-Shuswap, while the Liberal Party formed a minority government nationally.
“Our Chamber congratulates Mel Arnold on his re-election as our member of Parliament and we look forward to continuing our positive relationship with him. We also want to thank the local candidates from the other parties as they, along with Mr. Arnold, provided voters with options on the ballot, which are necessary in a democratic system such as ours,” said Dione Chambers, Greater Vernon Chamber general manager.
The Chamber’s focus now will be to ensure that issues of importance to the North Okanagan are front and centre, not only with the local MP, but with the federal government and opposition parties.
“Our Chamber recently had support from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to amend tax regulations so distilleries have a level playing field with wineries and their counterparts in the U.S. We are urging the federal government to embrace this position and ensure that Canadian distilleries have an opportunity to expand,” said Chambers.
“Another priority for the Chamber is having federal funding directed towards primary mental health and residential addiction treatment services. Currently, it is extremely challenging for individuals to access affordable assistance and that impacts their families, coworkers and employers.”
The Greater Vernon Chamber is concerned about Parliament’s ability to function after an election that was often focused more on personalities than issues.
“We urge all political parties to put divisions aside and to work together for all Canadians, regardless of who they voted for. Many families are struggling to make ends meet, particularly with the current state of the forest sector, and a strong and diverse economy must be a priority for our elected leaders,” said Chambers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:    
            
Dione Chambers, General Manager    
Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, E: manager@vernonchamber.ca  P: 250-545-0771