Left: Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo. Right: Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar
The MLA for the Shuswap is pushing back against comments made by a rookie New Democrat MLA connected to the wildfires in his constituency.
Equating him to a “goon” on a hockey team who goes out to fight other’s battles, BC United’s Greg Kyllo is suggesting New Democrat Ravi Parmar is being given bad advice from within the NDP’s communications fold.
Parmar has gone on-record saying Kyllo should be “ashamed of himself,” claiming he’s been counseling locals to defy evacuation orders in the Shuswap fire zone.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a crass politics where a newly elected member sitting in Victoria commenting on things that are directly impacting the lives of many residents of the North Shuswap,” said Kyllo.
“His comments certainly aren’t helpful taken out of context and I think he would be very wise to quell some of his commentary.”
Kyllo suggests the comments by Parmar — who has yet to sit in the Legislature after his by-election win back in June — may have been fed to him by the NDP’s communications team.
“It is sad that he is taking the bait so to speak, I don’t think this is going to play out very well for him,” said Kyllo.
“We even see with big NHL hockey teams, the term used to be called the goon — those who would be sent out on the ice to rough up other people and do the nasty work of a hockey team.”
Parmar was elected in former Premier John Horgan’s seat of Langford-Juan de Fuca in June.
Kyllo and BC United have maintained the position that locals — under the law — are allowed to remain with their properties under evacuation orders, but that others should be given more access to support them.
“Our call to action has certainly been for individuals to respect the existing roadblocks — what we’ve asked for — is individuals that remained in the community, be provided access to replenishment services; whether that be food, water, or fuel.”
Over two dozen locals in the Shuswap who stayed behind are now working under contract with the BC Wildfire Service as local advisors and firefighters.
