Skeena Needs Local Representation Beyond Party Politics
The recent removal of Skeena MLA Claire Rattée from the B.C. Legislature during Question Period has drawn attention across northwest B.C., especially because the exchange involved LNG Canada, Kitimat, jobs, and the future of resource development in our region.
Rattée, the BC Conservative MLA for Skeena, said she objected after Premier David Eby claimed that BC Conservatives do not support LNG Canada. In her statement, she said the Premier was attempting to “rewrite history” on LNG Canada and pointed to her past work as a Kitimat councillor during the project’s development.
Procedurally, however, the issue was not only LNG Canada. The Speaker ordered Rattée to leave because she continued to interject after being warned. That is how legislative procedure works: the Speaker controls order in the chamber, and MLAs are expected to follow those instructions.
But for Skeena residents, the bigger question is not simply whether an MLA can win a heated argument in Victoria.
The bigger question is whether the riding is receiving consistent, grounded, local representation across the entire constituency.
Skeena is not only Victoria. Skeena is not only caucus statements. Skeena is not only party messaging.
Skeena includes Kitimat, Terrace, Thornhill, Indigenous communities, workers, small businesses, seniors, families, people facing housing pressure, people dealing with health care gaps, mental health and addictions concerns, transportation challenges, and residents who may never feel properly heard by government.
That is why residents have a right to ask: how often is their MLA visibly visiting communities across the constituency? How often are local concerns being heard directly? How often are residents, families, businesses, seniors, patients, and community groups being helped with practical issues — not just spoken about through party press releases?
Rattée lives in Kitimat and has every right to speak strongly about LNG Canada. But Skeena is larger than one community and larger than one project. The role of an MLA is not only to defend a party position in Victoria. It is to serve the whole riding on the ground.
When public statements are issued mainly from a BC
Conservative caucus letterhead, residents are also entitled to ask whether the message is coming from local constituency representation or from party politics. There is a difference between speaking for a caucus and serving every resident of Skeena.
Before political credit is claimed over LNG Canada, Skeena residents deserve answers to more urgent local questions.
How many families in this constituency are struggling to access timely health care?
How many people have waited too long at hospitals or emergency departments?
How many seniors, workers, Indigenous residents, families, and vulnerable people are falling through the cracks?
How many people have died, suffered, or been left without proper support while elected officials focus on party fights in Victoria?
These are not small questions. Terrace and the wider northwest continue to face serious pressures around health care access, emergency services, housing, mental health, addictions, homelessness, transportation, seniors’ support, youth support, and basic community services.
So the question for the MLA should be simple
Where is the consistent constituency work?
Where are the public town halls?
Where are the direct meetings with families, patients, seniors, workers, businesses, Indigenous communities, and residents across Kitimat, Terrace, Thornhill, and the surrounding areas?
Where is the visible local advocacy beyond caucus statements and party messaging?
LNG Canada is important. There is no doubt about that. It has brought jobs, investment, and major economic activity to the northwest. But no single politician can claim that project alone.
LNG Canada moved forward over many years through the work of local governments, Indigenous partners, workers, businesses, contractors, previous elected officials, community advocates, and residents who lived through the uncertainty, opportunity, and pressure around the project.
An MLA can be proud of supporting LNG Canada. But representation should not become only about claiming credit or issuing party statements after a confrontation in Victoria.
The people of Skeena need an MLA who is visible locally, listens across political lines, visits communities regularly, and helps residents with real-life problems.
This matters because an MLA represents the whole riding — not only one party, one caucus, or one political base. Skeena residents include Conservatives, New Democrats, Liberals, Greens, independents, and many people who do not care about party labels at all. The job of an MLA is to serve all of them.
Rattée’s background as a former Kitimat councillor, business owner, and now MLA can be valuable. But that experience also creates a higher expectation. Residents will expect her to use that experience to solve local problems, not only to fight partisan battles in Victoria.
There is also a responsibility to maintain respectful political conduct. In a small region like northwest B.C., political relationships overlap. People appear at community events together, support local causes together, and are often photographed with people from different political backgrounds.
That is normal in public life. But it also means elected officials should be careful about turning every issue into a partisan attack.
The welfare of Skeena should come before party messaging.
If Rattée wants to strongly defend LNG Canada, that is her right.
If she wants to challenge Premier Eby or the NDP on their record, that is also part of democratic debate.
But Skeena residents also deserve to see consistent local work: town halls, visits to communities, meetings with residents, support for local businesses, advocacy for health care, housing, addictions services, transportation, seniors, youth, and Indigenous partnerships.
The region does not need more political theatre.
It needs practical representation.
The message from Skeena should be simple:
Defend the region in Victoria — but do not forget to serve the region at home.
