A couple of weeks ago, the Kamloops Daily News reported poll results that showed the BC Liberals almost level with the NDP in the Interior of the province, although considerably behind everywhere else. More recent results from two different pollsters show the hapless Liberals slipping further back including here.

According to a poll conducted by Robbins Research in the first week of February, the BC NDP is headed for a massive election win on May 14, 2013, this hold true for all regions. Here in the southern Interior the NDP showed support of 41 percent compared to the BC Liberals’ slipping down to 34.5 percent. Another recent survey by the Justason Group yielded similar results.

In my view, these numbers reflect voters’ cynical rejection of the BC Liberals’ propagandistic jobs plan advertisements. Sure, people can be influenced by propaganda but more significant to them are real facts about employment.

For example, during the BC Liberal 12-year term in office, 12,000 forest industry jobs have been lost in this region of the province alone. Over the last four years, BC ranked seventh among Canadian provinces in percentage job growth. More alarmingly, average weekly wages in this province have been declining steadily. When the BC Liberals took office, BC ranked second behind Ontario in average weekly wages. Under the Campbell-Clark Liberals, we have slipped to fifth position. From 2001 to 2012, the rate of change in our weekly wages has been the lowest in the country. These are the unfortunate facts, not feel-good government advertising.

When it comes to employment, local NDP candidates Tom Friedman in Kamloops South Thompson and Kathy Kendall in Kamloops North Thompson both offer genuine, practical alternatives to the fear and bluster promoted by the BC Liberals. That’s what’s really behind these poll results.

PETER NORTHCOTT

Kamloops