Editor: On Thursday, as I wrapped up my federal Liberal “Rally In The Valley” at Langley’s new Events Centre, our current Member of Parliament was doing photo-ops, once again promising infrastructure dollars and touting the Conservative flagship infrastructure program.

The very next day the Liberal Party released its own infrastructure report, clearly demonstrating that a mere 12 per cent of the money committed by Stephen Harper’s government has actually been expended, creating only 4,800 jobs across the country well short of the 40,000 jobs promised.

It is important for the voters of Langley to watch carefully to ensure that Conservative commitments made are infrastructure projects realized.

Consider the Langley Events Centre, built in spite of and not because of our MP Mark Warawa’s efforts, and those of the Stephen Harper government. It comes as no surprise then that there’s not been a nickel received for the Nicomekl bridge, even though the City of Langley continues to move forward with research for the Nicomekl project.

So there is no transparency as to the strings attached to the shovels held at the ready nationwide. Remember the $5 million promised by Warawa for the Langley Events Centre? That was scuppered because the shovels were already in the ground. How convenient.

No details are evident in the press releases announcing projects getting the nod in Langley. There’s no note of the number of jobs they’re expected to generate or over what period these three projects or the two projects announced Aug. 17, the day before the Langley federal Liberal candidate selection meeting, will last.

The infrastructure program requires that these projects be finished by March, 2011. Can Langley wait that long? Should Langley wait that long? If the other funders or partners run out of money, will the federal money evaporate? These are just some of the questions Langley needs to ask.

Could it possibly be this government needs to secure votes, just in case all of the opposition parties stand up to the next round — apparently set for Thursday. I urge the citizens of Langley to watch the progress of these projects closely — all six of them.

There is nowhere near enough information to ensure that the funds will actually materialize and there has never been a time when six federally-funded projects were on the go in Langley at the same time.

Shovels or no shovels. Money or excuses. It’s a coin toss.

Anyone got a nickel for the Nicomekl?

Canada can do better. Langley deserves better.

Rebecca Darnell,

Langley Liberal candidate