Finance Minister Michael de Jong will be hosting a telephone town hall for residents of Northern B.C. on Monday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. to get their input on the 2017 provincial budget.
The government press release said communities getting a call include Prince George, Vanderhoof, Williams Lake, Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Quesnel, Chetwynd, Fort Nelson, Tumbler Ridge, Lillooet, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.
Residents with landlines, and those who have signed up online with their mobile phone numbers, will receive a call just before 7 p.m. to join the one-hour conversation. de Jong will take questions directly from callers and ask all participants to take part in a few poll questions that aim to get their priorities for the budget.
Residents with mobile phone numbers need to sign up on the budget conversation website available at engage.gov.bc.ca/budget2017 if they want to participate in the telephone town halls. The technology is able to access only publicly listed phone numbers or numbers provided through the website.
de Jong also encourages those who are not able to join the town halls, or want another avenue to join the conversation, to visit the budget conversation website. Along with registering their mobile phone numbers for town halls, British Columbians can:
- participate in open dialogue forums on housing affordability, government priorities and economic growth including the BC Jobs Plan; and
- submit questions or comments to the minister.
The Government of B.C. said in its release that it is "committed to maintaining a balanced budget that reflects the values and priorities of the province's population."