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It is clear the page has turned on energy policy in B.C. But what has yet to be written in the first chapter remains something of a mystery.

As with any transition of power there are promises to keep and opportunities to pursue. But there also are pressing problems to solve and pitfalls to be avoided.

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The promises made by the incoming NDP administration were many and for the most part quite progressive. But they have been overshadowed by the seemingly endless negative commentary and speculation largely focused on big energy issues.

No LNG! No Kinder Morgan! No fossil fuels! No Site C!

And while some may cheer these prospects, the reality of politics is that you cannot govern on the basis of negatives.

What’s at stake? Simply put, in the absence of a bold new vision on energy and the economy, the message these negatives convey is that B.C. is not a safe place for investment.

For a resource-dependent economy such as ours, that is a recipe for disaster, one that a government with such a precarious hold on power cannot ignore.